


In Search of a Better Life

by kittyface27



Series: Baby Luffy [16]
Category: One Piece
Genre: A dash of drama, ASL Brothers, Adventure, Aging fic, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Baby Luffy, Celestial Dragons, Cute Luffy, Devil Fruits, Family, Fluff, Gen, Shirohige Kaizoku-dan | Whitebeard Pirates, World Nobles - Freeform, Young Luffy, asl nobles, asl on whitebeard ship, defecting from celestial dragons, dreams come true, funny nicknames, law and luffy are bffs, lots of Brotherly Love, luffy is very important, mature ace and sabo, some things similar to cannon but not same, spans 5 years, straw hat, windmill village
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-24
Updated: 2020-09-12
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:54:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 69,950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24361645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kittyface27/pseuds/kittyface27
Summary: After three Celestial Dragons decide they hate their life at Mary Geoise, and want to give their baby brother a nicer, pure life where he can be raised with love and care, Ace, Sabo and Luffy defect, heading out into the vast world. But their long term plans go astray when they're taken onto the Whitebeards' ship. Though they have plenty of help making Luffy happy. A loving life, somewhere simple.
Relationships: Akagami no Shanks | Red-Haired Shanks & Monkey D. Luffy, Monkey D. Luffy & Portgas D. Ace & Sabo, Monkey D. Luffy & Portgas D. Ace & Sabo & Whitebeard Pirates, Monkey D. Luffy & Trafalgar D. Water Law
Series: Baby Luffy [16]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1752880
Comments: 59
Kudos: 377





	1. Of To A New Life

**Since my last baby Luffy one shot was so popular, I decided to finish this one that's been floating around my google docs for awhile. Tons of fluff with only a dash of drama. It's an aging fic, takes place over five years. So, I hope everyone enjoys!**

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Luffy wandered down the hallway housing most of the bedrooms, peeking inside rooms that were all left open a crack so he could reach the door handle better. He was looking for Ace and Sabo since they were playing a game of hide and seek. Luffy was it, so he was looking for his brothers. But they were hiding really well and he couldn't find them. But he didn't give up, and kept searching.

The tiny child peeked into his own bedroom and found some feet at the curtains, along with louder breathing that he could hear. He ran forward and pulled the curtain aside to see Sabo, looking shocked. "Oh no, I got caught!" he lamented. Luffy jumped up, bragging about finding him good, even though it had taken him an hour. "You cheated, there's no way you found me so fast," Sabo accused with a smile.

Luffy was offended. "I did not!" the four year old shouted back. Sabo crouched down and ruffled his hair.

"Well, now that you told me that, I believe you. Why don't we go look for Ace, now? I'm sure his hiding place isn't as good as mine was," Sabo said cheerily, and Luffy moved on from being called a cheater. They looked inside rooms, and eventually found him squished into a trunk with his legs hanging out so Luffy could find him more easily.

He ran up to the trunk and lifted the heavy lid. "Found you!" he exclaimed again. Ace groaned, saying it wasn't fair how good he was at the game. But he didn't accuse him of cheating like Sabo had. Luffy giggled, jumping into Ace's arms. His dressings were pulled down a bit, but mostly stayed on.

Children in Mary Geoise wore much different outfits than adults or teenagers. They didn't wear the strange bubble helmets, but an outfit made of white with gold stitching that hung off of them like a cape. They looked like angels in them, even if most of the children had strange facial figures.

To be honest, Ace, Sabo and Luffy were the most normal looking nobles up there. Maybe it was because they were so different from the others. They didn't torment the slaves at all, though they made it look like they were. They wanted to teach Luffy to be kind and generous, so they mostly were kind when no one else was around. They couldn't blow their cover before they ran away once Ace and Sabo were adults. At 17, both would leave and take Luffy with them to brave the real world, go to a better life. And they'd take a lot of money with them.

Nobody knew about them training daily and getting stronger. They were in an abandoned part of the Red Line outside of the city limits so no one found them. Luffy always sat and watched them, cheering for both and not picking sides.

Ace and Sabo always dreamt of being free, even after Luffy was born four years ago, their little star that they were determined to do right by. They couldn't stand it if he turned into another noble child, snobby, cruel and just a terrible person. They wouldn't let Luffy turn into that. Since their parents never paid attention to the two eldest, they'd grown up with their own values, being the only ones to see the slaves' pain as wrong.

They discretely "insulted" them by giving them things. Luffy wasn't too good at it yet, though. He would throw an apple at the slave because Ace and Sabo told him to give them food when no one was listening or around.

Of course the slaves knew by now that Luffy meant nothing negative, he was just a clueless four year old with conflicting views from those around him and his brothers. He believed Ace and Sabo first, but it was confusing when his peers acted completely different than he did. They weren't very nice, but they were the only people Luffy's age who would play with him, even if they were snobby.

The slaves that served them never let on that the three boys were kind to them in their own roundabout ways. More than once, they'd insulted the slaves for smelling so bad, so they ordered them to take cold baths. They even gave them soap, sticking it into their ragged pants pockets.

Or when they had said the pillows that were made for them were shit quality, so they threw them at the slaves, telling them to get it out of their sight. The slaves were able to sleep with pillows, and they were all grateful for the two eldest and little learning brother, but never let it show. They cowered in front of them even if they weren't afraid of them.

The three headed outside to play with Luffy at the park. They both supervised him while he played in the playground with other children. Since the rocks were cleaned often, no dirt made it onto the fancy white clothes, keeping them nice and perfect looking. The other children, luckily, didn't pick on Luffy.

Ace and Sabo didn't like them, but were glad they weren't mean to Luffy, the one who stood out of all of them due to his eccentric personality and being absent of cruelness. They played on the swings and jungle gym for a while before Luffy became hungry and hurried to his brothers, asking for food.

They hadn't brought any since Luffy had been adamant about playing _now._ So they headed to the nearest restaurant and ate some takoyaki before heading back to their home. They took a newspaper with them, heading to Luffy's room so he could take his afternoon nap.

Ace and Sabo sat on the floor against the bed and both read the paper, talking quietly. Apparently two yonko were in Paradise, which worried the two teens since they'd planned to set off soon. They thought they were strong enough by now to go out on their own, of course bringing Luffy with them.

But they definitely didn't want to run into any yonko crew while there were only the two of them and a child. They were also having the dilemma of not knowing how far to go to escape all chances that anyone would find out where they were born. No doubt everyone hated Celestial Dragons, no matter if these three were different.

That's why they were thinking about branding themselves, to rid themselves of being nobles. But then it would make them wanted by the government if anyone saw the marks. And it would be incredibly painful and hard to hide from other nobles that lived with them. But would anyone care about why they were in pain? Probably not.

They would _never_ even _think_ about branding Luffy. Or tattooing the brand onto him, either. They would rather somehow make the brands able to come off and on, like a water tattoo. Perhaps they could do that, and only put them on when they were risking going anywhere that they might be recognized. Which was mostly Sabaody.

The temporary tattoos were an option they were leaning towards instead of branding themselves as slaves for the rest of their lives. Once they were free, they'd be unable to show their backs to anyone. Branding would be such a long term choice that they weren't ready to make.

In the newspaper, there were also "rookies" heading towards the New World. It would be best if they avoided them to start out. They didn't need that added trouble. They already had no idea how they were going to buy a ship on Sabaody without being caught. It was possible they could steal one, a small one. Not a big, noticeable pirate ship, but a smaller one that had a cabin. They wouldn't let Luffy sleep outside, he might get a cold.

It would be a big enough change for him already, they at least wanted him to be comfortable. He napped while Ace and Sabo quitely formed plans. The paper briefly talked about where the Whitebeards were coming from, when they'd get to Sabaody, which was popular and densely populated.

They apparently lost track of them in the Florian Triangle. Sabo read over so many maps and memorized them, and knew it wasn't too far from where Sabaody was. "We could use the distraction of their presence and steal a boat while everyone is distracted with them," the blonde offered. "They wouldn't care about our tiny boat sailing away from them."

Ace nodded, and the two finally made a concrete plan. They'd leave in three days, taking backpacks with them in a guise of planning on buying toys for Luffy. The three would change out of their noble clothes and into normal people clothes before going to the far side of the island and stealing a boat. There were always small boats there, and Sabo did his research and knew how to sail.

Well, he knew the basics. They would have to practice out of the sea since there was no way to practice up on the Red two, however, were wary of sailing a tiny boat in the Grand Line, so they would be heading to the nearest island that built ships, and would pay for the ship with stolen money once they ditch the noble life. They couldn't wait.

Sabo stayed with Luffy while Ace collected permanent pens, eye liner and paper to make stencils out of for their fake brands. They knew it was disrespectful to actual slaves to act like they were ones when they _weren't,_ but it was necessary. And they'd do anything to be free. To give Luffy a life where he wouldn't be trapped in this place, surrounded by cruel people. That was not an option.

When he got back to the bedroom, he found Sabo laying on his back on the bed with Luffy sleeping on top of him, thumb in his mouth. Sabo had a look of content on his face, and Ace smiled at it.

"I've got enough pens and paper to last us awhile. We should put it with our other stuff," Ace said, Sabo agreeing but not moving so he didn't wake the boy. They had a stash of supplies like canteens, fishing equipment, maps and multiple log poses. It was beneath Ace's floorboards in a spot he'd ripped up years ago, looking to hide something he stolen from their parents. If you could even call them that. They spent no time with their sons, which was what made them realize the truth about those around them.

It was their fault that their three children would defect, throwing away the privileged, suffocating life they grew up with. Their fault they would never beat slaves, never ride on a chained human's back, never hurt anyone without being provoked, and _never_ use their status as a way to win in life.

They knew they were hated by the world. They hated the Celestial Dragons as well. But they knew, based on a different case when a family left Mary Geoise and were then attacked because they had originally been Celestial Dragons. Of course, Doflamingo was known to be a normal noble, snotty, conceited and deluded. And insane, as he'd brought back his father's decapitated head.

Now he was a warlord and big time pirate. A dangerous man, and they weren't going to follow in his family's footsteps. They would not look down on common folk, or boast about their status. They would live as normally as they could. They just had to worry about Luffy spilling the beans about their past life.

But Doflamnigo's family were all weak. Ace and Sabo were pretty strong, especially with pipes or poles. It was their weapon of choice, while Luffy couldn't fight. Of course not, he was four. It was up to his big brothers to protect him, and they would.

Luffy woke from his nap, fancy clothes a little wrinkled, before they went to dinner. As usual, at the table they were ignored by their parents. Luffy didn't strike up a conversation with them like he used to. He talked with his brothers, who sat at one end of the long table while their biological family sat at the other.

Luffy had a booster seat on his chair so he could reach the table's surface. He used to be a very messy eater, like any young child, but had been conditioned to eat neatly. In a cruel way that often made him cry and Ace and Sabo steam with anger. Luffy used to be yelled at and berated whenever a speck of food got on his clothes.

Those instances had left him in tears, which he was berated for as well. Being treated like that at a young age had made Luffy not especially close to their parents. Well, they never talked. Ace and Sabo knew that they were looked down upon by their relatives. Not because they knew that the three treated slaves well in private, but because they didn't have one with them all of the time. They didn't have anyone waiting on their every move.

But again, they were glad of this for it, and many other factors, lead to the oldest two realizing just how twisted life up on the Red Line was. They were proud of themselves for not being like everyone else they knew. And they were proud Luffy was good as well. But they had a feeling he'd be a sweet heart even if they didn't train him to be kind to others.

After dinner, the boys played with Luffy for a while, building block houses and playing with little dolls. Sabo was the best at making girl voices, so he always played the girl characters. Ace was the gruff one, making "manly" voices.

Part of them would miss these times, but they knew a life of freedom would be much better. They would probably settle on an island somewhere until Luffy got older, and then they'd be pirates together, even if Ace and Sabo would be much older than little Luffy.

The boy got sleepy, and went to bed after a while of playing. Sabo read him a bedtime story after changing him into his pajamas and going potty one more time before bed. After Luffy was tucked in and asleep, Ace and Sabo went to Ace's bedroom and stashed more supplies into his hidden spot.

In that spot were three backpacks, normal ones without any symbols that would give them away. In one was the life necessities, like first aid equipment, medications, and some bathing products. In the second was a heavy, cramped amount of money. Enough to buy them a ship and food for the short term, and a home in the long term. They were both strong and would make good work for labor.

They knew they'd have to have a job, but weren't deterred or disgusted with the thought of working under someone else to have money. It was how everyone else lived, and that's what they wanted, and Luffy needed.

The third backpack would be reserved for Luffy's special toys he couldn't part with. Like his pink teddy bear he named "Shapoozie" (for some reason) and his baby blanket. They both went to bed, eager for the future while also incredibly nervous. But they would pull it off just fine. They had confidence in themselves.

-x-

In the morning, the three bathed and then headed to their training grounds, Luffy sitting on a blanket with two of his dolls while Ace and Sabo sparred. Nearby, there were groves of apples, so they just ate those whenever they wanted to. They took a break and picked a handful of apples, bringing some to Luffy.

Ace didn't notice one of the apples clearly not being an apple as he walked behind Sabo back to Luffy. He did, however, find that this fruit tasted horrid, and then looked at it in confusion before his face went pale. He crushed the fruit in his hand, not happy at all. Hopefully it wasn't a dangerous devil fruit.

He definitely should have been able to notice it was _not_ an apple based just on the texture and shape alone. When he walked to the blanket where Sabo was cutting apart an apple, Ace said, "I did something stupid, Sabo," in a pouty voice.

Sabo turned around, done with the apple, and Ace held up the devil fruit. "I ate a devil fruit. I don't know what it is," he said simply. Sabo put his face in his hands. "We're still leaving, but I just don't know what it is. But I can't swim anymore."

The two knew about devil fruits, but since no noble had ever eaten one, there were no real sources of information about them in Mary Geoise. Sabo took a deep breath, composing himself. "Well, we'll just hope it's nothing too dangerous. It won't change our plan."

Luffy perked up. "Ooh! That's pretty," he commented on the orange fruit. Ace sat down and told him it was expired, so Luffy wouldn't like it. "We are leaving soon?" Sabo nodded. "Where will we go? That's a big world downstairs." Ace and Sabo chuckled.

Ace replied, "It sure is a big world. We'll find our own home on another island. We'll sail across the beautiful sea to a new life and new world. It'll be an adventure, like in your picture books. Only there aren't any unicorns." Luffy pouted at the last part, and Ace ruffled his hair gently.

The devil fruit did not make itself known, though Ace made sure to keep himself aware of any differences in his body or behavior. He really had zero clue over what it was, what power it gave him. Hopefully it wasn't something super stupid. It would be good if it was useful in some way or another. Just not something stupid or dangerous.

-x-

"We're going down to Sabaody for the day," Ace said to their father at breakfast. "We're gonna get Luffy some new dolls." He lied smoothly, and Luffy was busy eating his eggs and hashbrowns to comment. Sabo nodded, saying he also needed to get a new book for Luffy since he spilled juice on it.

They avoided the word "buy" for they would get a talking to about how "they don't need to buy anything, everything should be _given_ to them. They were the gods of the world" yada yada. But the two adult Celestial Dragons said nothing of it, not caring. Just told not to embarrass them.

"Promise we won't," Ace said, hiding a sly grin. They would be incredible disgraces by running away, but they didn't give a shit about that. Though seeing their red faces in anger would be nice. But it wasn't going to happen. They'd be long gone before they reacted.

The brothers got their backpacks ready, and took the bubble elevator down to Sabaody. Ace and Sabo were grinning while Luffy's face was pressed against the bubble as they descended. Ace looked up, gladly saying goodbye to Mary Geoise for the first and last time. Sabo was just as happy.

When they got onto the island, the three headed further inland before they easily slipped away from the guards. They hid behind a mangrove tree before they ripped off the fancy clothing, including Luffy's get up, so they were less noticeable.

Ace and Sabo had the slave brand's mark on their back made of red permanent markers. They'd be there for a few days at most. Sabo picked Luffy up and they headed to the nearest clothing shop, buying new outfits for all three of them. A normal noble child would be upset over losing their fancy, expensive clothes, but Luffy couldn't decide on what he wanted to wear. A red shirt and blue shorts, or a yellow shirt and black shorts.

He finally settled on the first combination, while Ace got a loose yellow shirt and black shorts. He chose black boots and Luffy had flip flops. Sabo chose the clothes of a more fancy outfit, but nothing compared to what they had before.

If anyone approached them, their excuse for the backpacks, money and clothes were stolen from the Celestial Dragons. If that _were_ the case, it would have been the most impressive robbery of all time. Anyone could easily point out the holes in their story, but they weren't planning on meeting anyone in a while.

The Whitebeards were indeed on the island, with their ship docked away from the island. The three saw a couple of the commanders, and kept out of their gaze as they hurried to the bay. It was out of view of the Moby Dick, so the yonko crew wouldn't see them sail away. Not that they expected any of them to attack the three.

All of them were unassuming, and had a child with them, so they weren't exactly dangerous, rival pirates. They found a nice, small boat. It had a tiny cabin, big enough for them to sleep in with a microscopic kitchen and a tiny toilet and shower. It was more than enough.

There was no flag on it, so they were sure it wasn't a pirate ship. No one was around to watch, so they untied it from the docks and maneuvered it out of the bay, Sabo controlling it easily. Ace and Sabo grinned and breathed in deeply. As the little ship began to sail away, they felt so _free._ They had their own future right out in front of them, and they were going to head towards it at full speed.

The wind was wonderful, and Ace was holding Luffy as the boy was in awe over the endless sea. He looked back at the Red Line, where Mary Geoise was too far up to be seen. "Ready, Lu? We're going on an adventure."

"I'm so eskited!" he exclaimed, and asked Ace to put him down before he ran to the side and looked down into the water. The railings were too high for him to fall in. Their backpacks were in the little cabin, while they left their past behind. The life that shackled them.

Never again would they ever want to see a noble, see a slave, see anything related to their previous life. They got pretty far from Sabaody before they ran into some trouble. It was early morning, and Luffy was on Ace's shoulders when he pointed out a bird. "Look, Ace. It's a bird!" Luffy said, pointing upwards.

It was a big bird and was heading right towards them. "Let's catch it!" he said. Ace put him down, but Sabo's face went pale when he was the first to see it was _much_ too big to be a normal bird. And that it was on fire.

They were speechless when it landed on the ship, and Sabo pushed Luffy behind him in case it attacked. Ace was about to hit it with the pipe they'd snatched when it turned into a human. "It's magic!" Sabo hushed him.

The man was blond and looked at them in a bored expression. "Can we help you?" Ace asked uneasily. He didn't want to hit this man, he could sense how strong he was.

"Yeah, I'm just wondering why you stole our boat," he said simply, like it wasn't concerning him. Luffy said, "But this is our boat now." He seemed confused. The man looked at him with a surprised expression.

"Well, it wasn't your boat to start with. So why'd you steal it?" he asked, leaning against the railing.

Sabo and Ace didn't know what to say. "Um, we were using it to escape Sabaody?" Ace said, more of a question than a statement. Sabo put his face in his hand. They _just_ left and were already in trouble. "Uh, who are you?"

The man looked surprised with that question more than anything else. "I'm Marco. You stole our crew's ship. The Whitebeard pirates. We don't exactly just tolerate someone stealing it."

"God mother-fucking damnit," Ace swore conforfully. Sabo couldn't help but scold him, reminding him that Luffy was listening. But he agreed with the fear and utter frustration. It wasn't supposed to start out like this. Yes, the Whitebeards were part of their plan, but not like _this._

"We can pay you for it. We have money," Sabo said, having regained his calmness. Luffy ruined it.

He pointed at Marco and said, "Look, a pineapple!" Sabo crouched down, and said, "That wasn't very nice, Luffy. His name is Marco. What do you say when you do something not nice?" Luffy blinked twice before looking at Marco.

"Sorry, Pineapple," he said sincerely. Marco had his eyebrows raised when Ace burst into laughter, and then into flames. His laughs turned into screams, and Luffy and Sabo started screaming, too. Marco was shocked, but grabbed Ace under the armpits and stuck his bottom half into the water, holding him up.

Ace turned into goo, unable to move in the water. At least the fire had stopped. He was soaking when he was set back on the little boat. "Looks like we know what your new devil fruit is," Sabo said in a high voice. Luffy exclaimed that it had been scary, and Ace felt really bad. But he turned into fire, on a wooden boat, in the middle of the ocean. This could be bad.

They pretty much forgot Marco was there until he started turning the boat around. "Wait! We said we'd pay for it! We can't go back to Sabaody!" Sabo said, trying to take the wheel from Marco. He looked at them, now more curious than boredom.

"Who are you guys, anyways?" he asked. Luffy declared his own name and Sabo introduced himself and Ace. "Why can't you go back to Sabaody? You don't look like slaves running away," he commented, though he still had the wheel, Sabo not even near competition to the commander. They were screwed if they were being brought back to Sabaody. What would happen to them?

Ace looked away, not knowing what to say, leaving the talking to Sabo. He sighed. "We escaped Mary Geoise," he said truthfully. "Stole a bunch of shit to take with us, but don't have any way off. We can't go back. Please, don't make us go back."

Luffy didn't like the sadness and fear in Sabo's voice, and took his hand, hugging his leg. Marco's expression softened. "We still can't let you take our ship." Ace sat down and put his head in his hands. They were ruined. They'd failed their escape after years of planning, _dreaming_ of having a different life. Luffy ran to him and hugged him next.

Marco sighed, and furled the sails, dropping the anchor. "I'll be back, don't try to leave," he said and Ace and Sabo nodded. Sabo sat down, wiping his eyes. Luffy was incredibly concerned. Ace asked, "Sabo, what's going to happen to us?"

The blonde was just as miserable and uncertain. "I… don't know. We can't go back no matter what. It would be safer for us to just stow away on another ship that returns after running off with a bunch of money without telling anyone. Not that they'd miss us, but they'll be pissed."

Luffy said, "Don't worry, we will be okay," in his happy voice. Sabo and Ace smiled at him softly.

"You're right. We'll be okay, we'll figure something out," Ace said, kissing Luffy's head. "But how unlucky we are. We stole a Whitebeard ship." He chuckled brokenly. Sabo sighed. It really was unlucky. And there had been no flag on the ship that would have told them it was a Whitebeard ship. It had been the nicest one out of all of them, so they took it.

If only they'd taken one of the others. Then maybe their plan would have worked. Was everything ruined? Was their dream future just yanked out from under them?


	2. Meeting The Whitebeard Pirates

**Sixcupsofcoffeetogo: I know you'll like it if you like all my other stories, lol. I'm well seasoned in fluffy baby Luffy and WB pirates.**

**BlueArtNina: Thanks!**

**roseoftranquility: Thank you! I hope you stick around. It's pretty long.**

**chickie434: <3 <3 <3**

**YnworraMler: Thank you.**

**Nekokratik: Aww, thank you! I've done lots of baby Luffy stories. I think it's 18 at the moment, So I think I'm good at the fluffy but not too fluffy. Who's kidding, you can never be too fluffy.**

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**Thanks for all the nice reviews! The fluff will soon begin with the Whitebeards. Enjoy~**

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Marco landed back on the Moby Dick, where Thatch was standing, waiting for him to come back. They'd come across their missing boat, and Marco had circled the island to look for whoever stole it. So when he came back with no boat, it was a bit surprising. "So who stole it?"

The first mate sat on the railing. "Three kids took it. One of them looks about three or four. The other two are teenagers. They escaped Mary Geoise and took our boat to escape. I don't know how they did it, since they claimed to have stolen a lot of money as well." Thatch's eyebrows raised.

"Well we can't let them take it. Maybe we could sell it to them," Thatch offered.

"They offered, I declined," Marco replied. "Looks like one of them recently ate a devil fruit and almost set the ship on fire. Yeah, he erupted into flames. A logia fruit, no doubt," the first mate explained.

Thatch said, "That could burn down the ship while they're on it. And you said there's a child with them? That's not safe at all." Marco agreed. Thatch had a childish look on his face, no doubt wanting to meet the little boy. He always had a soft spot for kids. "So… what do we do?"

Marco replied, "I told them to stay put, and they aren't stupid enough to try and sail away. Surprisingly, they didn't recognize me. Which would make sense if they had been slaves. But they are slaves that are in pretty good shape. None of them look starved, or broken. Their eyes are bright, don't look like they've been through hell."

Thatch said, "Well they escaped from Mary Geoise, so there isn't another option." Marco nodded in agreement. "Should we talk to Pops? I can see your face, Marco. You want to keep them," the chef said in a knowing, entertained voice. Marco punched his arm, but knew he was right. They'd go talk to Pops, who was getting a check up in the infirmary.

They waited outside the door, Marco thinking about what he would say. A pirate ship was no place for a young child, but he'd be a hell of a lot safer on the Moby Dick than on a tiny boat with two teenagers, one who uncontrollably caught on fire.

When Whitebeard left the room, he saw Marco and Thatch leaning against the wall. "What is it, sons? Did you find the thieves?" Marco nodded, and explained the situation he'd told Thatch. The captain was interested, hand under his chin. "Do they seem like good people?" he asked. Marco was a very good judge of character. He was one of the deciding factors for most recruits, if they were good souls.

"I think they are. The kid seems to be happy, and his brothers clearly love him. They're also not stupid. Neither of them attacked me when I landed. I can tell the older two are strong. And Ace has a recently consumed devil fruit. But they seem very upset they were caught. Looked close to tears, begging not to go back."

Whitebeard asked, "So you want to keep them?" Marco shrugged, but his answer was clear. "Why don't you bring them here. Assure them that no one will here will hurt them." Marco nodded, a small smile on his face, and flew back to the ship, which had drifted a little bit, but they hadn't tried to sail away. A smart choice. They were inside, though, no longer out on the small deck. This really wasn't a ship for permanent living. It was too small and the kitchen and bathroom were both nearly useless.

The commander landed gracefully and walked to the cabin door, opening it. Sabo had his hand on Ace's shoulder, Luffy in his lap. Ace was clearly crying. And Marco felt guilt for causing it, even if they were the ones to steal from them in the first place. "Our captain wants to meet you. We'll sail out the way so no one will see you guys from the island. Don't worry, Pops means no harm."

Sabo didn't believe him clearly, and just looked down at the floor beneath him. Luffy was trying so hard to cheer them up. But they were so upset. "You're not gonna take us as slaves on your ship?" Luffy gasped, looking horrified.

" _No,_ you will not be slaves. Tell me, would you consider joining us?" the two teens were shocked and confused. Sabo asked for him to repeat himself. Marco was patient and said, "Would you three consider joining our crew?"

"Why?" Luffy was the one to ask.

"I get a good feeling from you guys. And being on our ship would be a heck of a lot safer than being on this tiny thing with someone who could set it on fire on accident. Especially for someone as young as Luffy," Marco explained. Sabo shared a look with Ace, who asked if they could talk amongst themselves alone. "Sure," Marco said, and closed the cabin door behind him while he unfurled the sails and took the ship back to the Moby Dick, though quite far from Sabaody. No one would be able to see the little ship, and certainly not the kids.

He wouldn't ask them about their pasts. No one really talked about their past before joining the crew. Most came from not happy backgrounds. Marco himself had been the first to join and Pops saved him from slavery. He trusted them all to not pry about their backgrounds, especially if it was possible they were escaped slaves.

If they were, then they had been well treated slaves. Well, not well treated, but not overly physically abused or starved. He didn't know if they had brands, and no one would dream of asking them that.

And if they weren't escaped slaves, and had perhaps run away from home, well, no one would ask that either. It was ten minutes later that the three came out. Sabo was carrying Luffy, who had his thumb in his mouth. "If… if you promise not to ask us about our past and won't harm us, I guess we have no choice. So, yes. We'll join you," Ace said, voice heavy with sadness.

"No one talks about their pasts on our ship. Only the future matters," Marco said sincerely. "And we won't harm you in any way." The boys nodded, and were silent as the ship made its way back to the Moby Dick. Since they couldn't be seen by whoever they were running from on the island, Marco flew them up from the opposite side, tying the little boat to the larger. They'd lift it up later.

Whitebeard was waiting, with Thatch and Izo as well. Luffy gasped when he saw how huge Whitebeard was. They thought he was going to get scared but instead said, "First a pineapple man and now a giant!" Ace kept in a laugh, and Sabo told him to stop calling Marco "pineapple". Thatch, of course, was laughing his ass off.

Whitebeard laughed and said, "I am not a giant. Just a very large human." He was about to ask for their names when Luffy said, "No, you are a giant. I can tell," while nodding his head, agreeing with his own words. Thatch hid a coo, and Whitebeard didn't argue again, just smiled.

"My name is Edward Newgate, captain of the Whitebeard pirates. You can just call me Whitebeard if you want," Pops offered. "You'll be safe and cared for here. No one will ask you about your pasts or why you are afraid to go back to the island." Ace and Sabo nodded.

Luffy squirmed down and ran off the moment Sabo put him down to explore. Ace hurried and stopped him. "It's fine, you three can explore the ship if you want," Thatch said. Luffy was running around, looking at everything on deck. Whitebeard was watching the boy with an amused smile before he ran over and laid down next to Whitebeard's foot, measuring himself compared to him.

Those on deck watching burst into laughter. "He is a giant, I was right!" Luffy exclaimed after coming to the conclusion that Pops' foot was bigger than he was. Marco flew their backpacks up from the boat and gave them to the brothers.

"I'll show you to your room. It's a guest room, so a bit small. We'll put another bed in there for you," Marco said, Thatch trailing behind, introducing himself. Luffy then called Thatch a "loaf head". Marco laughed, not being the only one with a stupid nickname.

He led the three to their new bedroom, and the two older ones all looked uncomfortable while Luffy barged into each and every room to explore thoroughly. They slowed their pace for him so he could check out everything before they reached the bedroom. Marco opened the door and Luffy ran in to look around, looking under the bed curiously before climbing onto it and jumping up and down, rolling around.

Marco and Thatch could agree: Luffy was adorable.

-x-

Ace and Sabo were glad Luffy seemed so relaxed and comfortable. But he was also four and didn't really understand why this should be stressful. They were trapped on a yonko ship, heading to the New World. They hadn't expected or wanted it to end up like this, but they refused to return to Sabaody and take any risk.

They put their belongings on the beds, putting Luffy's bear and blanket on the bed. They were not going to compare their new life to anything of their old life. But both had a feeling the new adjustment would be a bit hard for Luffy. They just had to make sure he didn't blab any sensitive information. They both knew pirates were enemies with the world government. And the brothers had been those that had power over the government and marines. Not anymore, though none of them cared.

The two oldest had never used their status' power. And Luffy was too clueless. When they were shown to the kitchen, Luffy said hi to anyone who passed by, but most of the pirates were on the island, clearly. The pirates all looked surprised with his presence, but Marco told them they'd explain later.

"Marco, we only have one change of clothes," Sabo said. Marco replied that they'd make them some more. Ace and Sabo were confused and uneasy, not knowing what to expect or what to think about this. Never had they considered this scenario. This… wasn't what they wanted. They wanted to live how they pleased.

Ace's eyes were turning red, he was close to tears and Sabo noticed it. Ace had been the one to point out the boat they took. Sabo put his arm around his brother's shoulders. "I'm sorry. I picked the wrong one," he said sadly. Luffy didn't notice.

"It was an accident," Sabo replied quietly. "We were taking a risk anyways, just not expecting this. Maybe they'll let us go later." Ace scoffed and pointed out they would be trapped in the New World. After all, they couldn't traverse over the Red Line anymore. They'd have to find a way to get through Fishman Island. They were to be trapped in the worst sea.

They didn't notice Thatch was listening until he spoke up. "We're not like any pirates you've heard of before. We're a family-" Ace and Sabo's expressions soured at the word. "Family". Their family was crap. But they realized the looks they were giving and smoothed their faces out, though Ace was still feeling teary. "Anyways, we care about each other. Not like some pirate crews who just kill one another for a mistake. We're not like that," Thatch insisted.

The group was in the galley, the brothers looking at the sheer size of it. The whole ship had high ceilings, but the galley was absolutely massive. Luffy bustled around the room, looking under the tables. "Luffy isn't good with names. He'll come up with nicknames for everyone," Ace warned, though his face was soft. "Stupid nicknames," he added. The nicknames were never respectful, though he only said them in private back in their previous life.

Marco nodded, saying they would try not to be offended. But both of them were already named. Pineapple and Loaf Head. Ace and Sabo didn't look forward to the others' reactions to their future nicknames.

"Is this place big for only Banana Giant?" Luffy asked Thatch. Banana probably came from the shape of Whitebeard's mustache. Not a beard, which was kind of strange. Thatch shook his head.

"There are many big people here. Pops is the biggest. Banana Giant is called 'Pops' here. We consider him our father," Thatch explained, Marco chuckling at the captain's new name to Luffy. "Are you hungry?" Luffy's stomach rumbled and he poked at it before nodding, and running after Thatch as he headed for the kitchen.

Luffy was just a ball of energy, being allowed to run around and explore unlike back at their old home. He opened the cupboards and stuck his head inside, though he didn't make a mess. Thatch was very patient with him being in the kitchen. "Nobody touches any of the things in the kitchen but me and my sou chefs," he said patiently. Luffy gasped and pulled his hands in before hurrying out of the kitchen. Thatch chuckled.

Their little brother was easing the worry and fear, like he always did. Always their sunshine, their angel to make hard times not so hard. Luffy climbed up onto a stool at the big bar counter. "Can you bake bread, Loaf Head?"

"I can cook anything you ask for. I'm the best chef in the world, you'll see soon enough," Thatch bragged. Luffy asked for fish. "Easy! I'll make the best fish you've ever had," and he started to cook easily. Luffy was looking around, while Ace started feeling really hot, and hurried a few meters away from everyone but also away from the table.

He erupted into flames again, but the flames didn't spread. "Ace is a candle again!" Sabo would not have called a raging inferno a "candle", but he was on fire again, yes. Marco walked over and put his hand on Ace's shoulder. He helped Ace go through some breathing exercises to stop the fire, which fizzled out without a trace.

"What is it? What's the fruit?" Ace asked, though it was clear it was fire. He just didn't know anything about any devil fruits, so it was possibly something else.

"A logia fruit. Most likely the flame flame fruit. One of the most powerful kinds. Where did you find it?" Marco asked. Ace didn't even hesitate with his answer.

"It was in the same place as a bunch of apples. I ate it on accident," Ace said. Luffy wasn't paying attention anymore, humming in his seat while slapping his hands on the counter. It happened incredibly fast, but Luffy already lost all of his strict manners. Then again, he wasn't being shamed for being noisy or energetic. Ace and Sabo were glad for that. "How do I not burst into flames?"

Marco sat at the nearest table facing Ace and said, "Through practice. We'll give you a sea stone band while you sleep in case you lose control. Meditation would really help, able to calm your entire body with your mind. It'll take you awhile to adjust to it since you seemed to have just eaten it." Ace pouted, not wanting to not have control for a long time.

"How could you touch me without being burned? And on the ship, too," Ace wondered, which was what Sabo had been wondering as well, glad Ace had brought it up. He had one eye on Luffy and the other on Ace and Marco's conversation.

Marco replied, "I ate the phoenix zoan fruit. I can't be injured and am immune to any sickness. The only thing that could injure me is haki, but the second it disappears, I'm healed. Considering how many people are on this crew, only three of us have any devil fruits. Pops', Jozu and mine. And yours now, too." Ace asked what the other fruits were. "Well, Pops can cause earthquakes and tsunamis, and Jozu can turn his body into diamond," Marco answered.

Sabo eyed Luffy in slight worry when he heard the word diamond, but the boy said nothing about it, just watching the fish cook. When it was put in front of him, he surprised Thatch and Marco with his sudden manners, eating with the fork and knife perfectly. "Yum! It's yummy," Luffy said, and Ace walked over to take a bite.

He agreed, and said, "Probably much better than what we'd be able to do ourselves." Sabo took a bite, but it was too big for Luffy, who frowned at him.

"That was too much, Sabo," he scolded. Sabo apologized and Luffy said, "I forgive you but no more, it's mine."

"Okay, sorry Lu," Sabo said and ruffled his hair. Thatch cooed and Ace smiled warmly. Even in this scary time, Luffy was making them feel better. However, both brothers worried over the unknown and probably offending nicknames he'd give everyone once they arrived. All of the slaves at the mansion had nicknames, but he was never allowed to call them that. Only referred to them when talking to his two brothers.

Once people started to come back onto the ship, Whitebeard collected everyone into the galley and told them that the boys would be staying with them. Not to ask any intrusive questions and not to get offended by Luffy's nicknames. Whitebeard didn't seem bothered with being addressed as "Banana Giant". He took it quite well, and Ace and Sabo were happy it did not anger him, even when Whitebeard corrected his name many times.

Just like he had insisted that he _knew_ Whitebeard was a giant, he said, "But you have a banana mustache and are a giant so your name should be Banana Giant." He didn't really understand why his name was Whitebeard.

"But your brother's names aren't what they look like," Whitebeard reasoned patiently. Luffy looked confused, and said that, "Ace and Sabo are Ace and Sabo. That's a silly question." After that, Whitebeard resigned himself to be named Banana Giant. It was clearly not going to stop by him correcting the boy.

A couple of the commanders they met weren't happy with their given nickname. Marco was "Pineapple", Thatch was "Loaf Head" because his hair looked like a loaf of bread, Jozu was "Ball Head" because his hair looked like he had balls on his head, Vista was "Bird Feet Eyes" because of the crinkles next to his eyes, Izo was "Man Lady" because he had make up on and a dress (it was a kimono). Haurta was called "Fairy" because his shirt reminded Luffy of a fairy in a picture book, Curiel was "Watermelon Hat" due to the pattern of the hat he wore, Namur was "Shark Man", which was pretty accurate since he was a shark fishman. Rayuko was "Lion Hair" because of how his hair looked and the color, Balmenco was "Round" because he had a round body, Blenheim was "Braid" since that was his hair style, and it was different from everyone else.

Jiru's get-up apparently looked like a dress to Luffy, so his name was "White Dress Man". the more offending ones were "Cow" (for Atmos' hat), "Grumpy" because Kingdew looked grumpy, and the worst was "Butt Chin" for Fossa's extreme cleft chin.

Ace and Sabo immediately told him he couldn't call him "Butt Chin". "How about cleft chin? That's another term for a double chin. Butt Chin is not very nice, Luffy. Okay?" Sabo said in a stern voice.

"Okay, not Butt Chin." Then he started to giggle, and called Sabo a butt head. He was never allowed to say such things back at the mansion. Sabo became indignant, offended. "How could you call your own brother a butt head?" he asked in shock.

"I'm sorry, I won't do it again!" Luffy said, starting to cry, feeling bad that he called Sabo a mean name. Sabo pat his head.

He said, "There's no need to cry. When you make someone upset, you should just apologize, right? So, what do you say to Kingdew and Fossa?" Luffy looked at them with watery eyes and apologized for being mean. They nodded grudgingly, but seemed glad to not be called Grumpy or Butt Chin. The others accepted the nicknames, while each were teased about. Haruta was upset with being "Fairy", but it hadn't been anything offending.

Marco said quietly, "Him knowing our real names would be easier than keeping track of all those long nicknames." Whitebeard just chuckled and shrugged. After dinner, which Luffy ate very respectfully, sitting on a stack of books, they went back to their room, which had another bed inside.

When they closed and locked the door, Ace sat down and put his head in his hands. He worried about their past being found out, and being killed for it. This was why they wanted to disappear for a while, have the government forget about them. Everyone they knew to move on. But now they were on a crew with many sightings, who were very easy to track and recognize.

He was so afraid. Sabo sat next to him and hugged his brother. "We'll be okay, Ace. We just have to not let anything slip. Okay, Lu? We can't let them know anything about where we came from. They might not like that we were in a mean family." Of course Sabo didn't go into detail and mention slaves or the attitude of the Celestial Dragons as a whole.

Luffy crossed his heart and promised before hugging Ace tightly. Ace hugged him back, hand buried in his soft hair. "These people seem like nice people. I hope they are nice people."

"We do, too. Why don't we unpack our things?" Sabo said, trying to change the subject. The blankets already were set up and had nice comforters and pillows. They moved the beds so they were pressed together and Luffy laid his blanket and bear down. Ace and Sabo put the other bags into the closet, since they had money and other necessities, including stolen maps and log poses.

They didn't have any changes of clothes, so Ace and Sabo slept in their bottoms but no shirts, while Luffy was still fully clothed, set in the middle of the bed with both brothers on either side. He fell asleep easily, arm around his bear with his thumb in his mouth. Ace and Sabo, however, did not sleep well.

They stayed up for over an hour, both looking at one another miserably. They didn't want this. And the pirates were getting their ship coated the next day and would be descending to Fishman Island the same day. It was their only chance to escape and not trap and doom themselves in the New World. They weren't ready. Ace had no control over his fruit, and neither of them knew haki at all.

They couldn't protect Luffy well in the New World. Ace still felt terrible guilt about choosing the wrong boat. And now they were stuck there. They knew they couldn't run away now. They had no ship to take, and felt the pirates would not let them leave, would try and convince them that they didn't _need_ to be strong because now they were surrounded by people that would help them.

It wouldn't help to hear they weren't enough to take care of Luffy. Ace had tears streaming down his face before he fell asleep finally. Sabo dozed off not long afterwards. Luffy stayed asleep, blissfully clueless about the situation.

The next day, the pirates mostly went onto the island, while the boys stayed on board. They stayed in their room, not wanting to go to breakfast, but they wouldn't ever deprive Luffy of food when he was hungry. Luffy was perfectly happy while Ace and Sabo picked at their food.

They were sitting at the end of a more empty table. Ace kept just enough cheer in his voice when talking to Luffy that the boy didn't see how upset they were. It was hard for them to put on a front for Luffy. But they didn't want to worry him at all.

However, the other commanders saw their expressions, and Thatch went over, having been washing dishes as pirates finished their food and left to go off the ship. He sat next to Sabo, and asked how they were. Luffy said he was happy with the food, while his brothers were feeling the opposite.

"Are you two okay?" the chef asked in a worried voice. Sabo decided to be truthful.

"This wasn't what we wanted. We don't want to go to the New World. If you ever let us go, we'll be doomed there on our own. We don't know any haki, I can't control my stupid devil fruit. This wasn't our dream. We don't want to be here, but we know you won't let us go," Sabo explained. Luffy finally caught on to his brothers' sadness.

Thatch looked very sad with their answer. "What was your dream?" he asked quietly.

Ace answered this time. "We were going to sail to a nice island, live there and have Luffy grow up safely before setting out on our own journey as pirates. We wanted to live somewhere safe, alone, together. We can't do that in the New World. We'll be chained there, or risk ours and Luffy's lives in the most dangerous place in the world."

Thatch was very upset, and Luffy was looking sad, too. He remembered that dream, and couldn't believe he forgot. They were going to live a nice life. The people here seemed nice, but Sabo and Ace were right, it wasn't what they'd wanted, what they'd spent so long planning and hoping for.

"If Ace and Sabo are not happy, I'm not, too," Luffy declared, pouting. Thatch said he'd be back in a bit, and left the room. Ace and Sabo took their plates to the kitchen, and wiped Luffy's mouth with a napkin.

"Sorry for bumming you out, Lu," Sabo apologized.

Luffy shook his head. "But Ace and Sabo should be happy," he said simply. Ace kissed his forehead, and the boy giggled. "No kisses, you get spit on me." Ace countered that he didn't drool, so he was allowed to kiss his baby brother as much as he wanted. Luffy stuck his tongue out at his brother, who said, "That's it!" and picked him up to ruthlessly tickle him. Sabo grinned, and then his smile turned a bit sad.

But he didn't let it show for long, and around half an hour later after Thatch left, he came back, only this time he had the captain and Marco with him. The two eldest teens grew fearful, that they'd be punished for telling the truth, that they didn't want to stay with them. What if they were punished physically? They'd never been hit, but had seen plenty of others doing it.

The three pirates sat across from them, the brothers now all sitting on the same side of the table. "Thatch told me you three truly don't want to come with us," Whitebeard said in a normal voice, not full of anger. Sabo and Ace nodded. "And that you want a safe and peaceful life for Luffy."

Luffy chimed in, "We live in a nice house and work." Ace ruffled his hair, and he beamed.

"Well, there are islands in the New World under our flag, meaning no one attacks there, but you're right, the New World is a very dangerous place. But, so is Paradise. I don't think either would be safe to raise Luffy," Whitebeard said. The boys didn't know where he was going with this. "Would you want to reside in one of the Blues? We would take you there."

Ace and Sabo's jaws dropped, shocked. They would ditch their trip to the New World and go all the way to the East Blue? But… why? Why be so kind and generous? "The East Blue is the weakest sea, therefore the safest for you three."

Sabo stutterd out, "B-But… _why?"_ Luffy was wondering what was surprising, and watched his brothers' reactions. Ace had his hand on Luffy's head, rubbing his scalp softly, something he'd always liked.

Marco replied, "Well, we want you to be happy and safe. Even if it's not with us. And we feel bad for taking away your dream, even if we didn't know it. Maybe someday when you're older, you could come back to join us. But until then, we want you three to be happy and safe, even if it means a long trip back through Paradise and to the East Blue," the blonde explained with a smile.

Sabo and Ace both bowed over the table, thanking them sincerely. Luffy chimed out a thank you as well. When his brothers rose, he smiled at their grins of relief. "But, weren't you heading to the New World?" Sabo asked.

Thatch said, "We've been there a lot, most of the time. It's not like we're heading anywhere in particular. We're fine with going back. Besides, we haven't relaxed so much as the East Blue would give us. No terrible weather or sea kings. Might be a nice break." Marco nodded and the captain agreed as well. Ace asked if anyone would be upset. "I don't see why. We won't be going to the Blue permanently. Plus, they can't do shi- anything about it if it's Pops' order."

Luffy asked, "Banana Giant is super in charge?"

"Exactly," Thatch said with a grin. "He's the ruler of our ship," the chef added. Luffy made an "Oh, I get it," like he hadn't understood that Whitebeard was the captain until that moment. The conversation and silence wasn't uncomfortable now that the two older brothers knew their dream was not over and stolen from them. They would be helped to get there, which would have probably been safer than them going by themselves.

When the crew came for lunch, Whitebeard announced the plan that they were not going to the New World, but instead, the East Blue. It threw many off, but none of them seemed to have a big problem. The commanders weren't bothered so no one else was either. But they couldn't help the surprise.

Speed Jiru (White Dress Man, according to Luffy) said that he had come from the East Blue before setting sail and that there were a handful of peaceful islands, and one island had a tiny, cozy town that would be safe for them to raise Luffy. Like any island, there were some dangerous visitors, but mostly no dangerous people arrived there.

"It's pretty small, and has a large jungle that you three could train to be stronger in. The people there are kind. I think it would make a good place to live for the time being." It sounded good to Ace and Sabo, and Luffy said he wanted to meet nice people.

Haruta (Fairy), said that he was sure they'd have many nice people. Luffy beamed, and then went back to his grilled cheese sandwich. Something they hadn't had back where they originally came from. Most of the food they'd been served so far was something they'd never had. All of their food at Mary Geoise was elegant and complicated and expensive. Here, some of the food was cheap but tasted better than what they used to have. Thatch really was a very good cook. As were his sou chefs.

They had been made more clothes by Izo's division, which matched what they'd had when boarding, with comfortable pajamas for the three. Luffy's had birds sewn onto it to make it look good. He was happy with it.


	3. Bad News?

**chickie434: You'll just have to wait and see. ;)**

**NekoKratik: Thank you! Everyone adores him. They would all be so upset if the boys leave. But, we won't know if they do for sure for awhile.**

**Sixcupsofcoffetogo: It was so hard keeping all of nicknames correct with all those that weren't main character commanders. But they were fun to come up with.**

**KHR_Yunalesca: Thank you! I feel like over the stories I've written of baby Luffy, he gets cuter and cuter. Did you read the one where I - _ehem_ \- made his ending not so nice?**

**Samster7241: He really is.**

* * *

**I'm sorry all my fics are a day late! I got confused about how many days there were in may. So I'm sorry about that. -_- Enjoy~**

* * *

Thatch moped in the kitchen, cleaning dishes instead of using the massive dishwasher. Marco entered the galley and walked to his brother. "It's better to let them go instead of making them hate us," he said, knowing what Thatch was upset about. He didn't want them to leave either, but he wanted them to be happy, and whatever they were running from, well, their plans were shattered.

Marco wanted them all to be happy with them, but they were right. Luffy was young, too young to be a pirate in the New World, even if he'd always have protection. And Ace and Sabo didn't know haki, which was a must in the New World. They hadn't thought it through when they made them say yes.

Because it was either join, or go back to the life they'd run from. Marco didn't know what life that was, but it wasn't his business. They couldn't steal their boat, so they could have dropped them off at the nearest island, though they were planning on heading to Fishman Island. Now they were completely changing their plans and heading to the Blues.

It was most likely done because of how good of people the three are. Marco had entertained the thought that they had come from Mary Geoise and were servants, which was why they didn't seem broken or fearful of everything. But them escaping with stolen goods was hard to comprehend. He wished he could ask them how they did it, but they all agreed to not ask about their pasts.

"I know. But Luffy's too cute. It's not fair, I want to keep them," Thatch whined. Marco sighed at his brother's immaturity.

"Well, you never know. Maybe once Luffy's older, they'll want to join us again. But the best thing for them now is to take care of Luffy, keep him out of danger, right?" Thatch huffed, but knew Marco was right, and nodded.

Thatch then whined, "I miss kids. We never see them except on our protected islands." Thatch had always loved kids, and it was the one real drawback with being a pirate. Maybe that was why he wanted to keep Luffy so badly. And the other two were kind, good people, too. And adored their little brother. No one knew how old the eldest were, but looked in their late teens. Maybe seventeen or eighteen. "I do wonder where they came from," the chef said, changing the subject a bit.

Marco agreed, but reminded Thatch that they weren't going to pry. "I know, but that doesn't mean I'm not curious."

"They were terrified of going back to Sabaody, so they left a bad situation, even if it has nothing to do with slavery and Mary Geoise. We don't know if they were slaves since we can't see if they've been branded, but that isn't something you ask someone," Marco explained. It was lucky he hadn't been branded since he wasn't a slave under a Celestial Dragon, just a regular noble before he ate his devil fruit. Though it would have disappeared when he first ate the fruit since all of his other scars left as well.

The chef looked sad, but said it was lucky Luffy was so happy if they did come from an abusive past of some sort. Marco agreed, and said, "Probably because he has Ace and Sabo." Thatch nodded in agreement, since it was the only thing that really made sense.

They luckily had not gotten the ship coated, so turning around and sailing away was easy. The ship sailed along the island's coast before setting out for the East Blue. Ace Sabo and Luffy were at the railing as the ship got further from the island, and the two older ones ducked when government officials were seen searching ships still at port.

Marco looked curiously at it, but it reinforced that the three had been involved with the nobles in some way. It was just lucky they weren't broken or found again. No doubt they would have been severely punished for escaping. When they were far from Sabaody, able to see most of the Red Line, Luffy said, "There are clouds up there!" in amazement, pointing to the Red Line.

Ace and Sabo wore a slightly uncomfortable face. "Well, it is quite high up," Ace said, and then changed the subject quickly. "Lu, do you want to play hide and seek?" Luffy gasped and nodded vehemently.

Marco walked over, and said that they could stick on the deck, since people were out there and would notice if Luffy got into trouble. Sabo thanked him, and offered to go first.

-x-

Luffy searched all of the deck before deeming there were no good hiding places besides when Ace hid in an empty barrel. So Luffy wanted to think of something unexpected. Banana Giant was watching him run around, looking for a spot.

Then he thought of it, and ran to the captain. "Banana Giant, you have big hands. I hide in them?" Luffy asked with wide eyes. Whitebeard chuckled and let Luffy climb into his hand, where the other one rested over him. He barely peeked out of the space between his fingers. Luffy was so small he fit easily.

After Ace was found fairly quickly, the older brothers searched for Luffy, but couldn't find him, and grew increasingly worried. Luffy giggled as they ran around, and when they started shouting his name in panic, Luffy patted the captain's hands, who got the message and opened them. "Aha! I win!" he cheered.

Ace and Sabo were surprised and Whitebeard began laughing loudly, which was infectious. Ace and Sabo were very relieved, having been freaking out about Luffy possibly falling into the freckled teen walked over and took Luffy from Whitebeard's giant hand. "Thanks, Banana Giant," Luffy said with a giggle. Sabo ruffled his hair. "I'm thirsty."

"Okay, why don't we go get some water, then?" Sabo offered, and Luffy agreed. The three headed inside to get some water from the dispenser barrel. Luffy wanted down and instead wrapped his arms and legs around Ace's left leg as he walked. It was good that Ace was strong and tall, or this would be hard for him.

He had a seastone band in his pocket, wrapped in fabric so it didn't weaken him all the time. If he started to feel warm, he put the band on immediately. Marco recommended it, and he took the offer gratefully.

When they got the mugs of water set out, since no one was allowed in the kitchen, they filled three of them and took long swigs of it. Luffy said, "It'd be scary if the water all went gone."

Ace said, "We'd all shrivel up like mummies!"

"No!" Luffy exclaimed, and Ace grinned, saying he was joking. That people don't shrivel up from not having water. "Why can't we drink water from the ocean?

"It has a lot of salt in it, and it makes you dehydrated. Means that you don't have enough water in your body and you can die. So never drink sea water," Sabo explained. Luffy gasped, and then promised he'd never drink sea water. The three decided to take a bath and headed to the bath house they were shown. To be honest, when they found a place of their own, they didn't care about how big it would be. How big the bathtub was, if the bedrooms were tiny. It would be their own safe space, and would be fine as long as they had a backyard.

Hide and seek wouldn't be as easy to play, but that was a small sacrifice in the long run. Luffy looked forward to living with only his brothers. They had gone to get a change of clothes, which were left outside of their door, and then went to the bathhouse. It was up to Sabo to save Luffy if he went too far in. He didn't know how to swim yet. And Ace now was deadweight if he got too deep into water.

Luffy yanked his clothes off and jumped into the water, making a small splash before Sabo stepped in and stopped his brother from going in too deep. Ace came in last, hating the feeling of being in water. It was worse than sea stone since he could die in the water if he wasn't careful.

Sabo tried teaching Luffy how to float, but he wasn't too good and wanted to stop because he didn't like the water in his ears. The tub was meant for much larger people, definitely not young children, so when he was standing, the water went up to his shoulders. So Ace kept him near him or in his lap so he didn't go under.

"This is a nice place, Ace and Sabo. And nice people for taking us to the other place a long way from here," Luffy said, splashing the water with his hands. "But I look happy to us living in a house together. Maybe we can meet them again when we're bigger."

Ace leaned over and kissed his head. "That sounds like a good idea. But you won't be able to fit in Banana Giant's hands. You'll be bigger," the oldest pointed out, voice tired from being in the water.

"I don't care, I want to be bigger. I'll be a big boy and not need to be protected all the time. I'll be strong, too!" he declared confidently. Sabo chuckled and said they knew he would be. The bath was mostly soaking before they got soap and hair products. They gave Luffy knomies and he thought it was just so funny. He gave one to Ace, who covered his eyes as the shampoo ran down his face. Sabo laughed, and the bath was fun. They dried off with big fluffy towels, one that dragged on the floor when it was wrapped around the youngest.

They put the towels in the large hamper after drying off and getting dressed again. "I like these clothes. They are comfy and I can get them messy without getting yelled at," Luffy said cheerily.

Ace agreed, saying they were much more comfortable. They headed to the library to read Luffy some books. They left all of the picture books behind, so they needed to add more descriptions into the stories. Sabo was very good at this, painting the moments in the stories in a way where Luffy's imagination created the pictures.

Dinner was much nicer that night since they knew they weren't going to be held captive or trapped in the New World. And no one was mad about it, maybe a bit sad over them leaving, but no one was angry with the long detour.

The beds were definitely not great compared to their old mattresses, but none of them complained. Luffy hadn't complained about a single thing since leaving their overly privileged lives. And the older two were proud and happy with that. Luffy definitely did not fit in with other Celestial Dragon children. And they were so glad. _So_ glad that he didn't turn into a greedy, cruel monster.

-x-

Marco got the newspaper the next day when it was dropped down by the newscoo, pulling out the wanted posters to see if there were any new ones. There were a few, but three were not wanted posters. They read _Missing. Bring back alive._ His eyes widened when he read the names and saw the photos.

_Ace, Luffy, and Sabo._

There were photos of them, one of Ace and Sabo both in Celestial Dragon clothing, looking thoroughly grumpy and annoyed, pulling at the neckline of the ridiculous outfits. They definitely didn't want to wear those clothes, and were not smiling one bit. Luffy's photo was him in a fancy outfit, tiny and with a butterfly on his finger.

_Missing from Sabaody. Bring alive for a 400,000,000 berri prize._

Marco took the missing posters and shoved them in his pocket before bringing the paper to the galley, where Pops was. He saw the three boys, _former_ Celestial Dragons, fretting over a choking Luffy. Haruta hurried to help and a whole apple came out of Luffy's mouth.

"Luffy, you can't eat fruit whole. Ask one of us to cut it up for you next time, okay?" Ace asked, and Luffy nodded, eyes teary and red. Sabo wiped them away, and told him not to worry, but not to do it again.

Marco found nothing about their looks or behavior that hinted at their pasts. And they ran away from Mary Geoise, stealing a ship to get far, far away. To their dream to live somewhere alone and in peace, raising Luffy happily. That's why they didn't act like slaves. They weren't. But they didn't act one bit like Celestial Dragons either.

He would show no one but Pops the posters. He'd burn them. No one would find out on his watch. While he was sure these three didn't torment slaves (they were too kind and giving. Sabo had asked to help Thatch with breakfast that morning), he didn't know how others would feel.

Marco ate calmly, though Pops noticed his very slightly off behavior, but said nothing. Luffy shoveled eggs into his mouth happily. But he made no mess. Made sense he had good eating manners if he had to live with world nobles.

After breakfast was over, Marco went to talk to Pops, loudly saying it was about him needing to buy more pens for mapping since they broke. And that was true, some of the mapping pens had broken. It wasn't a lie. He led the captain to the meeting room, closing and locking the door behind them.

"Pops, what do you think of the boys?" Marco asked. Whitebeard looked surprised at the question.

"They're kind and very bright. Luffy is a joy to be around and seeing Ace and Sabo's love for him is refreshing. I think they're very humble for their age. Why do you ask?" he questioned in concern, thinking something was wrong. Marco pulled the folded up papers from his pocket and gave them to the captain.

His eyebrows raised in shock at the new information. He put the papers down and said, "This does not change my perception of them, but it fills in the blanks of their story. That's why they were able to smuggle out treasure, and why they didn't want to go back. I still think they are good people, I don't care about their pasts." He paused and then said, "However, I don't know if that would hold true for everyone else, since we have multiple former slaves on the crew."

Marco nodded, worried about that as well. "I think we should keep these away from the others as long as we can. Everyone needs to see them for who they are before judging them about their former lives. They clearly hated it if they went so far as to run away like they did."

Whitebeard agreed. Though he didn't think anyone would turn them in or something like that. They were pirates, not bounty hunters. And they also didn't think anyone would grow violent at the boys, but might shun them, wishing them to leave. "We're keeping our mission no matter if they're wanted."

Marco smiled, glad they were on the same page. "Should we talk to them about it? Instead of hiding the fact that we know who they were?" the first mate wondered. Whitebeard thought for a moment.

"I think being transparent with them will have them keep their trust in us growing. We will show we don't hate them for it, but will keep it secret for them. Lying would be counterproductive, and they'd find that out sooner or later," the captain replied. Marco agreed, and was told to go get the boys.

He found them helping Thatch with the dishes, Luffy drying the utensils while the other two worked with washing or drying the glass plates and bowls. "Boys, can I talk to you?" Marco asked, nothing abnormal in his voice.

"I can do it myself, guys. But thanks," Thatch said pleasantly. Luffy smiled and then walked to Marco with Ace and Sabo, holding their hands and swinging them back and forth. When they entered the meeting room, they sat down, Luffy in Ace's lap so his head reached the table.

"Are we in trouble?" Sabo asked uncertainly. But they both shook their heads.

"No, you're not in trouble. But we do want to tell you we know about your previous life. There were some missing posters in the newspaper today. We are not angry, nor hate you for your past that you clearly deserted. But we don't want the others to know or they might be upset. Some of us were at the mercy of nobles or had their families killed."

Luffy pouted, while Ace and Sabo were very concerned and nervous. "The sad people are sad, and everyone there is mean to them and yells at them. We tried to make them happier and gave them baths and foods and this one time a bunch of pillows. I wish we could have done more but we could only do it in secret or get in trouble," Luffy explained in his simple voice, unable to lie in the first place.

Marco asked, "So you guys tried to help them out?" Luffy nodded.

"But we had to be mean to help them," he said, contradicting himself. So Ace explained their tactics to get away with it. How they would insult them but give them something in a roundabout way. How they acted mean when they were actually trying to help them.

Sabo confessed, "We feel bad for leaving them, but we had no way to stage a mass breakout and get away with it. None of them knew we left. While we wish them freedom, we put our own interests first. Our own dream that we've been planning for since long before Luffy was born."

Whitebeard and Marco smiled at them softly. "You three really are good kids, and it's been a pleasure to know you. I look forward to our long journey together," the captain said, making Ace and Sabo smile in utter relief, while Luffy giggled and said he liked Banana Giant, too.

Marco spoke next, asking, "Can I ask what living there was like? At Mary Geoise?" Ace and Sabo scowled, and Marco thought they were angry at him at first, but it was at their old life.

"Everyone was so cocky and full of themselves. They treated anyone who wasn't a Celestial Dragon like crap. Our parents never cared or talked to us, which is why we formed our own opinions and weren't brainwashed. Whenever we ventured down to Sabaody, we had to walk with them, and it was sick. We hated being associated with any of them.

"Luffy never went down since we didn't allow it, but it wasn't exactly fun to go down in the first place when you just walk with slaves who are miserable and in pain. We had a hideout outside of the city, after climbing over a wall, where we trained and practiced and got stronger. The others all let government officials do the protection. But no way in _heck,"_ Ace said when Sabo gave him a warning look, "were we going to be unable to protect Luffy on our own. Life up there was not heaven. It was suffocating, disgusting, and embarrassing."

Whitebeard was frowning, feeling bad for them. He never thought he'd pity former Celestial Dragons. "There was once a Celestial Dragon family that defected, wanting to live like normal people. But when it was found out they were former nobles, they were captured and tortured.

"The son killed his father and brought his head back to Mary Geoise to try and get back his status. They didn't let him, and now he's a warlord," Sabo said, and it surprised both pirates. "Donquixote Doflamingo was born a Celestial Dragon. We didn't want what happened to him to happen to us. We considered branding ourselves, but decided not to." Marco and Whitebeard were shocked at just how far they had planned to go to be free. "Instead we made stencils of the mark that we were going to color in with markers."

The captain and Marco were quiet for a bit, shocked at all of the information. Also, the thing about Doflamingo was very surprising. Never had they expected a warlord to be a former world noble. It wasn't surprising he killed his parent, though. He was a ruthless pirate, after all.

"I do miss my toys and picture books, though," Luffy chimed in, not having said anything for the whole rant, just watching Ace talk while tapping his hands on the table lightly.

Marco said, "Well on the next island we stop at that has stores, how about we buy you some replacement toys?" Luffy gasped and grinned, nodding and thanking Marco, who just smiled at him.

"Pineapple is nice," he said, and Marco hid the irritation. Well, Luffy was four, he had an excuse. His _adult_ brothers, however, did not have an excuse for the silly name. At least Luffy hadn't made any stupid bird jokes like everyone else. Whitebeard just chuckled. He hadn't cared at all about his stupid nickname. "Banana Giant." It actually made him laugh. No one would dare call him that besides an innocent child.

Marco gave Ace the posters, and he burned them, the sea stone band ready if necessary. But it worked fine, and he grinned at the small success. "Are you gonna tell the other commanders?" Sabo asked a bit nervously. But the two highest powers on the yonko crew shook their heads. This secret was the five of them to share. No one else would know.

"And luckily, I'm always the one to get the paper, so I control what is in it or not. Any more missing posters will be destroyed before anyone else can see them." Ace and Sabo thanked them both sincerely, Sabo bowing while Ace couldn't since he had a four year old in his lap, humming a tune he made up himself.

The five exited the room, and saw some people passing curiously. "Remember not to say anything, Lu," Ace said, carrying Luffy on his shoulders.

"I promise!"

"Good boy."


	4. The Adventure Continues

**Maldea: Thank you. <3 <3 You're english is always fine. Honestly, texts I send to people have far more spelling issues than most commenters who say their english is not too good. That's why I read over my texts before sending (I usually send them with errors anyways. Where was I going with this?). **

**chickie434: Who knows? I'm sure a kid would blad eventually, but maybe Luffy doesn't, who knows? I guess we'll just have to see.**

**Sixcupsofcoffeetogo: <3 <3 <3**

**Nekokratik: Doffy's family is known about by everyone in Mary Geoise. Like a cautionary tail. But he's not in this story, just mentions since his family left Mary Geoise as well. They won't be meeting, but it was an interesting question.**

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**Of course there is quiet a bit of fluffy humor in this one. Luffy is such a joy to write sometimes. I posted a new chapter of my Fix-it story today, so check that out! Enjoy~**

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"I don't like this," Luffy commented, looking out of the porthole in their room and seeing the dark fog around them. "Like a scary story." Ace demanded to know who told him a scary story. It was one of the older kids who walked all over the younger ones, as long as Ace and Sabo weren't there to shut him down before he did anything damaging. One of the boys who crushed Luffy's sandcastle when he was three earned himself a broken wrist and three sprained fingers.

They'd scared him into silence, Sabo brandishing a pipe dangerously. The excuse he gave for his injury was that he fell down. He never bothered any of the three ever again. Seeing his fearful, pinched and ugly face made Sabo and Ace entertained. As long as he didn't bother Luffy again, which he was smart and didn't.

"It is a little creepy. But remember, the Whitebeards have been through this fog dozens of times. They know what and what not to do," Sabo assured him, taking him from the porthole and ticking his tummy mercilessly as he screamed and squealed. "I stole a tickle from you." Luffy pouted at him, tears of laughter in his eyes.

"Sabo just wants me to not think about the dark fog," the four year old said, shocking his brothers with how reasoned and aware that was. "But the fog can probably come through the walls," he said cluelessly, getting back to his usual demeanor. Ace and Sabo shared an amused glance.

Luffy stood back on the bed and looked out the little window again. "Hey! A present!" he shouted, and pointed out the window. Ace and Sabo got on the bed, too, though they only needed to kneel to see out of it. There was a barrel floating in the water.

"I doubt that's a present. I don't think they should touch it," Ace said, Sabo nodding in agreement. And it floated past the ship harmlessly. Luffy was sad, and said he was hoping there were toys inside. "I don't think there will be toys there, Luffy. It was probably some food or drink of some sort. Or something worse."

"Worse?" Luffy wondered, plopping down on the bed and kicking his little bare feet.

Ace nodded. "Maybe some sort of weapon or even a bomb. And if the Whitebeards ignored something like that, they most likely thought the same. Besides, they promised to buy you toys and books on the next island. Sabo, which is it?"

Sabo got out one of their stolen maps. "From here, the nearest island in Water 7. The nearest land after that, however, would be Ennies Loby, a government base. So we're not going there," Sabo explained. "Then we'll head to a smaller island named Jaya. After that, Alabasta, the land of sand!" he said dramatically for Luffy.

Luffy gasped. "That's a lot of sand?" Sabo nodded. "So many spaces to make sand castles!" Ace grinned and kissed his head.

"I don't think it would work in that sand, Lu. A desert island is dry, so the sand would be dry and not shape well, no matter how awesome your pail would be. What's after that, Sabo?" Ace questioned, Luffy pouting about being unable to make endless sandcastles. But his attention was brought back when Sabo talked about the next island.

"The next one will be a winter island, with lots of snow to play in, Lu." Luffy cheered. It rarely snowed on Mary Geoise and they weren't really allowed to play in it if it _was_ there. "The island after that would be Little Garden, which we are _not_ stepping foot on," Sabo said in a firm voice. Ace blinked twice, wondering why, so he asked. "It would not be safe for any of us, not just Luffy. Marco told me about it, that it houses dinosaurs, huge predators, and an active volcano."

Luffy had never been a fan of dinosaurs, so he didn't bite much on that. He was more interested in regular animal toys and dolls. And he liked marine mammal toys and playing with them in the bathtub.

Ace, however, was in awe. "How the heck do dinosaurs still live there?" he asked in disbelief. Sabo shrugged, having no adequate answer. "Well, what's the island after that? Surely it's nearer to the Red Line by then, right?" Ace questioned. While he was excited for the islands, he also wanted to be somewhere safe as soon as possible. The people on this ship were kind and made Luffy happy.

But Ace wanted stability. Luffy wanted adventure, but he was too young for all of this. Children weren't meant to be on pirate ships. At least, not ones as young and vulnerable as Luffy.

"Yeah, by then it's very close to the other end of the Red Line. I'm not sure how we're going to get into the East Blue from the Grand Line, but these pirates have done it before, so we should trust them to do it just fine." He looked back down at the map, and said there was one more island. "Cactus island".

"Cactus?! I don't wanna go there. In my book they look spikey. I don't want that, to be spiked," Luffy said in a firm voice.

Sabo smiled and said, "We promise we won't let you get spiked by any cactus." Luffy nodded, trusting them to keep him safe. Ace and Sabo were the best people ever. He voiced that opinion, and got a big hug from both of them, with loving looks. Luffy smiled at them, his little teeth making him look even younger.

Then the youngest's tummy roared loudly, and he complained that he was hungry, even though his body just loudly made that clear. He jumped onto Ace's back while he and Sabo walked him to the galley. Thatch was in the kitchen, since he was still working on cleaning up after lunch. When they entered the galley, Luffy was set down and ran to Thatch.

"Loaf Head, can I have a snack?" Luffy asked with wide eyes. Thatch had been one of the first commanders to accept his stupid nickname with amusement. Marco had accepted it, but punished anyone who called him "Pineapple" besides Luffy. Whitebeard was the first to accept his nickname. No matter how much someone told Luffy their real name, he stuck with his initial nicknames (besides Butt Chin) who was now "Clefty". "Cleft Chin" wasn't alright for the boy apparently.

Thatch agreed, and picked Luffy up to take to the fridge. He had fallen for his charm, and would give Luffy anything he asked. "What do you want?" Thatch asked, holding him in front of the open fridge. Luffy studied the food silently before pointing to the left overs of an apple pie.

"Apple pie!"

"Why don't we ask your brothers?" Thatch asked, and Luffy turned around. While Thatch was not immune to Luffy's charm, Sabo could resist.

"I don't think a small piece of apple pie will make you not hungry, Lu. How about apple pie for desert and something different for now?" the blonde reasoned. Luffy pouted, but Sabo didn't waver, and so the boy chose a tub of sticky rice with Thatch's signature sauce. But he refused to share with Sabo, not that he had asked.

The three were sitting at the bar counter while Thatch finished up the last of the dishes. He liked cleaning the dishes when he had the time, instead of using the industrial, _huge_ dishwasher. "So, when are we gonna be out of this fog?" Ace questioned.

Thatch turned the nozzle to make the water come out slower and therefore quieter. "Late today we'll be out of the fog. We'll be arriving at Water 7, if the ocean lets us, in five days. Six if we run into any problems."

Luffy asked, "What problems?"

Thatch replied, "Any storms. They would slow us and make us off course." They hadn't run into any storms from Sabaody to the Florian Triangle, luckily, but the crew and his brothers had made sure Luffy knew there _were_ going to be scary storms eventually. "Marines and pirate crews don't generally approach our ship in Paradise," he explained. "Unless they are stupid, that is."

Ace asked if they'd had any run-ins on their way back to Sabaody. "One rookie crew kind of played chicken with our ship, but decided against it and turned right around and sailed off. The New World is the only place where crews aren't usually disillusioned in thinking they're strong enough to fight us. They never win. Sometimes someone will get hurt in some random way, but the ship is almost never damaged. Others are too weak."

They didn't expect Luffy to get offended. "They can too be strong! That's mean, people can be strong even if you don't know so." Ace chuckled.

"He's just saying that they aren't strong _enough_ to win against the Whitebeards. They're already strong if they can handle the New World, just not strong enough to fight this crew," Ace said patiently.

"Oh! Sorry, Loaf Head, I was rude," he apologized.

Thatch cooed before saying, "I forgive you. I understand why you were upset. Besides, not everyone is strong physically. They can be strong emotionally or mentally." Luffy agreed with that.

He had finished the food and asked Sabo for a wipe, so the blonde gave him a napkin and he wiped his face and hands. Table manners, to some extent, were drilled into him by cruelty and insults if he was not neat. He got yelled at when he was a baby for dropping cereal on the floor to see what happened when it disappeared from view. It made him cry, and Ace and Sabo immediately removed him from the situation.

After Luffy stopped breastfeeding, his brothers basically cut off all contact he may have had with their parents. They wouldn't let him be emotionally damaged for the rest of his life because his parents were mean. It was lucky Ace and Sabo had one another, since they were fraternal twins, Ace the elder of the two.

Ace felt himself grow hot, so he reached into his shorts' pocket and held the sea stone band, hating the feeling but knowing it was necessary. "I want to go outside but the fog is scary," Luffy said, more like he whined.

Sabo replied, "How about we go outside, but we hold hands the whole time so nothing happens? Both of our hands so you're _super_ safe." Luffy thought for a moment before grinning and agreeing.

"I like Ace's hand now cause it's always warmer than before. But Sabo's hand is more soft," Luffy mused as the three walked out to deck. Luffy grew less sure when they reached the doorway, and peeked outside. The fog wasn't as bad as it had been from the porthole, so he slowly got more comfortable and walked outside. The fog wasn't so thick that they couldn't see parts of the deck, but they couldn't see anything but fog around the ship. And the top yardarm was faded as well. Luffy held his brothers' hands tightly, and he was a little scared but didn't want to run away. And Ace and Sabo said nothing to discourage his bravery.

They walked to the back deck and sat down, not next to the railing so the fog wouldn't steal Luffy away. Ace and Sabo leaned against the wall of the cabin, with Luffy sandwiched tightly between them. "I can't wait for the sun to come again," Luffy said.

Ace added, "And blue skies with clouds. And where we could see the endless ocean." Luffy nodded in agreement, and they sat quietly, waiting for the sun. The only noise or movement was from Luffy's heels rolling to the left and right on the deck, sandals making some scuffing noise as he moved them. He had trouble sitting still, like most kids his age. He was usually moving his body in some way.

After a while, Luffy fell asleep leaning against Sabo's side. When the fog cleared before dinner, Luffy having been moved to rest his head in Sabo's lap so sitting on the deck wouldn't hurt his back or butt later, Sabo gently roused the boy. "Look, Lu. The sky is back," he said to the sleepy boy.

But he didn't stay sleepy long before he jumped up and cheered that the sun had come back. Ace and Sabo smiled contently. Luffy was very, very happy the sun was in view again. He thought the sun had gone away from them, not that the fog just covered it up. Well, they wouldn't correct him.

Izo showed up behind them, and Luffy exclaimed "Man Lady!" Izo took it well and hid the irritation that Ace and Sabo could just barely see. "What'a ya come here for?"

Izo held up three hats. One black beanie, a blue one and a red one. "When we go to Water 7, you'll need to wear disguises. It would be the safest if you aren't recognized by anyone while being on our ship. We don't want anyone knowing you're with us. So you'll need to hide. Sunglasses for Ace and Sabo will also be necessary."

The boys took the beanies and put them on. They were knitted and very nice, sized for their heads perfectly. Izo didn't know they were already identifiable, but it helped nonetheless, even if it was for a different reason than he thought. "Thanks, Izo," Sabo said politely. Luffy nodded, thanking him as well.

"You're welcome," Izo replied, and then left. He wasn't a man of many words, but a lot of the commanders weren't good with Luffy. After all, they were pirates and didn't spend much time with children. Those who were the best were Thatch, Marco, Whitebeard, Haruta, Curiel and Vista. But mostly the first three.

Luffy put his hat on inside out, so Sabo fixed it, and then he and Ace put theirs on. "These are really nicely made," Sabo commented. They were soft, seemed to be knitted or crocheted. Luffy liked his and pulled it down over his eyes. "I have no eyes!"

"Ah, a monster!" Sabo exclaimed. Luffy pushed the front of it up.

"I'm not a monster. Silly Sabo," Luffy said cheerily. Sabo pretended to catch his breath in relief, touching his chest, saying that had scared him. "Heehee, Sabo scaredy cat. Scared of me monster but not the ones under the bed?"

Sabo huffed and crossed his arms, acting embarrassed. Luffy giggled again. "I like the hat, I'll wear it a lot," he said simply.

"I'm sure those who made it will be happy to hear or see that." The youngest put it back on and pulled it down over his eyebrows but not his eyes. Luffy turned and said goodbye to the disappearing fog, saying he wouldn't miss it. He even stuck a tongue out at it and then erupted into giggles. Ace and Sabo chuckled.

"Why don't we go thank those who made these for us?" Sabo offered, and Luffy agreed, taking his brothers' hands tightly, both of them enveloping Luffy's small hands. So small and weak. Such gentle hands who couldn't fight for himself. His brothers would always be there for him, though.

The three headed inside and found the room where clothes and other fabric objects were made, and found multiple people knitting. "Did you guys make our hats?" They looked up and nodded. "We wanted to thank you for them. They're made very well."

"Hey, hey, I did this and Sabo thought I was a monster cause I had no eyes!" Luffy exclaimed. The pirates smiled and told them they were welcome, and that they'd make them anything if they wanted them to.

"That's very kind of you," Sabo said with a bow. They looked embarrassed with the thank yous, so Ace and Sabo led Luffy out of the room, and he went running off to find Pineapple, Loaf Head or Banana Giant to show them his new hat. He found Banana Giant first.

He tugged on his pants. "Banana Giant, look at my new hat!" Luffy said, holding up the little red beanie. Whitebeard looked down and smiled.

"Is this your disguise for Water 7?" he asked pleasantly. Luffy nodded, and assured him that nobody would recognize him with a hat on. "Well that is good. We wouldn't want anyone to see you." Luffy nodded in agreement, and announced he wanted to find Pineapple and show him next. After he ran off, Sabo and Ace followed at a pace that kept him in sight but also gave him some space.

He searched the halls before finding an office space, and seeing Marco working. Ace and Sabo were there and caught him before he ran inside. Marco was obviously busy with something important. "Lu, why don't we go show Loaf Head instead? Pineapple seems to be busy with something important and we don't want to distract him too much."

Luffy's mouth turned into the shape of an "o" and then he nodded, and hurried off to show the chef. Ace and Sabo followed at a good distance again, both smiling at their little brother. He ran into a pirate, bouncing back from his huge stomach.

"Oh! Sorry Piano Mouth!" Luffy said and ran past the man. He had bushy black hair, dark skin and a hairy chest.

"Sorry about that," Ace apologized with a smile, both of them continuing to follow Luffy. They'd seen that guy before, but had never really had a conversation with him. Luffy had pouted about him having all of the cherry pies until Thatch made Luffy a full pie for himself. But he'd agreed to share with his brothers.

After Luffy showed everyone he could find, he went to take a nap, tired from running around the ship. He fell asleep as Ace carried him to their bedroom. Everyone they passed quieted when they saw the sleeping boy, and Sabo and Ace were grateful, giving them appreciative and silent smiles.

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**Yup, Teach is in this one, like a lot of my stories.**


	5. Water 7

**chickie434: Piano Mouth is always a problem, but this story is too fluffy for major deaths.**

**Nekokratik: Luffy is their ball of sunshine, so how dare sadness get to him?!**

**Sixcupsofcoffeetogo: I wish I could do mofre emojis than the heart emoji. <3 <3**

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**Lots of fluffiness in this chapter! Enjoy~**

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"Wow! Look at the fantin!" Luffy exclaimed while the Moby Dick grew closer to their first stop, Water 7. It was beautiful, and huge. Luffy wouldn't like it, but Izo's division made a harness with a leash to keep him from running off and getting lost. It would be long, but clipped to Ace's belt.

Ace and Sabo stood next to him on the deck, and were in awe as well. They wondered how the island worked and why they had such a massive fountain. Was it just for decoration or did it serve a purpose?

Marco came up behind the three and handed Ace and Sabo their sunglasses. They weren't terrible, but they'd rather not have to wear them. But it was for them all to stay safe, so of course they'd wear them. Luffy had his red beanie on, matching one of his red t-shirts. He was bouncing on his toes in excitement. Since they had really just stopped here, most of the pirates didn't feel like going on.

So this trip was mostly for the brothers to have fun. And buy little Luffy lots of toys for their couple months stay on the ship. They had spending money, and Thatch and Marco would be going with them since they knew where to go and wanted to keep them safe. Plus, Marco knew that they were in real danger, so he felt he was best to deal with it if any complications arose. Hopefully they wouldn't.

But if anyone recognized them, Thatch would not judge the boys for their pasts. It wasn't as if they murdered anyone, like many of their crew had before joining. After they docked, the five got off of the ship, Luffy surprisingly hadn't protested to the harness, and headed to the city. They had docked the ship at a rocky cape for privacy's sake as the log pose set.

Luffy wanted to inspect every rock, but Ace reminded him about toys, which got his attention perfectly and he ran back to the group. Thatch said, "We'll buy you the signature meat of Water 7. It's delicious! I'm sad I can't make it myself, but it's quite the treat."

"Yay! Mystery food!" Luffy exclaimed, pumping his fists in the air. Sabo and Ace were so happy with how Luffy had taken their leave of Mary Geoise. He clearly had fun now, and was allowed to be a little kid without being reprimanded or belittled. It was the right choice to get out of there, even if it was just for Luffy's sake.

Eventually, Sabo picked Luffy up as he ran to windows and pressed his face against them all, even the homes. Ace reminded him of polite privacy, but his curiosity got the better of him, so he was being carried while they were still in areas where people lived.

When they reached the shopping district, Luffy was put down, and ran to the stands excitedly. Marco kept an eye out for anything suspicious while Thatch handled the money. He couldn't help but buy anything Luffy asked for. Though Sabo stepped in once he asked to buy candy. "No candy so early, Lu. You'll crash from a sugar rush," the blonde said responsibly. Luffy pouted, but then a toy store across the stream got his attention, and he forgot all about the candy.

When they entered the toy store, Luffy gasped, looking at shelf upon shelf of toys. Now _here,_ no one denied him of toys. He got three stuffed animals, a giraffe, dragon and cat. He got dozens of figures of animals, and many little dolls, along with a large set of blocks and a couple picture books.

He was so happy he started crying, and Ace comforted him with a smile. Thatch fussed about what was wrong. "He's happy. It got a bit overwhelming."

"Awwwww," Thatch said quietly. Even Marco was smiling. Luffy got control again and looked at his many bags of toys with shiny, bright eyes. You could practically see the sparkles in them. "Thank you!" he said, hugging Thatch around the leg. "No problem, Luffy," the chef said, patting his head.

Luffy carried the lightest bag, which was his stuffed animals while Thatch, Sabo and Ace carried the other toys. Marco kept them safe, but no one looked at them twice. Well, except to see Luffy's adorableness. He was treated so differently outside of Mary Geoise. They never looked at him like he was cute or endearing. It was mostly irritation or indifference.

Thatch asked Marco to buy some water meat to take back, and did so, carrying a bag of the meat. They headed back to the ship, and Luffy's new toys were brought to their bedroom, where he dumped them all on the floor, admiring all of his beautiful, new toys. "Let's play!" he declared. Sabo and Ace couldn't resist, and Thatch was about to leave when Luffy said he should play with them, too.

So, the commander played with the brothers, voicing for one of the dolls as Luffy built a block city for them to live in. Thatch clearly enjoyed it, and when Luffy was becoming sleepy, Ace and Sabo decided play time was over for now and he should take a nice nap after an exciting day.

"Thanks, Thatch," Ace said quietly while Sabo tucked the child in, giving him his stuffed bear and setting his new stuffed animals by his head so he could see them when laying on his side.

"Anytime. He's so sweet. I'm gonna miss you guys," Thatch replied honestly, still quietly.

Ace smiled, and said, "Once Luffy is older and more able to protect himself, we'll call you up again and visit." Thatch grinned, and said that they'd definitely give them a den den to keep in touch. Ace grinned and thanked him, opening the door for him to leave and then closing it behind the chef.

-x-

The next day, the crew got unfortunate news. It was easy to see, but they still needed confirmation the wind had increased and it had begun to rain. Luffy had been made a little rain coat, so he was wearing that out in the rain. "Is it a storm is gonna come?" Luffy wondered.

"Looks like it, Lu," Ace replied, holding his hand securely so the wind wouldn't blow him away, since it was so strong. Sabo was standing with the captain and commanders, not knowing what they were so worried about a storm. Was it a bad storm? Once they were done talking to the mayor, who was on the ship, Sabo asked what was happening.

Haruta said, "There's an annual storm that comes through here every year. It's usually accompanied with tsunamis and intense rain." Sabo became very alarmed with hearing of tsunamis. "Most of the city retreats to the higher levels during it. The Moby Dick should be fine if she's anchored well enough. She's made of the strongest wood there is.

"The problem is the safety of the crew. Pops, if the massive waves only came from one side, would probably be able to fend it off with his power, but they come from multiple sides," he explained, Jozu then taking over.

He added, "We'll all probably evacuate the ship and head to the higher levels as well. We just need to anchor the ship down well enough. Iceberg has offered to bring us equipment to do so. While we're doing that, the smaller pirates on this crew will head to the city again, including you three."

Sabo nodded, though he was nervous. He didn't want the ship to be destroyed. And not just because it was their ride home. They liked these people, and losing their precious home would devastate them. They didn't want that for them. "Should we leave now?"

Whitebeard nodded, and told them to bring their backpacks with them. Sabo nodded, and walked to his brothers. "We will go get our backpacks and head into the city. There's gonna be a very large storm, and we gotta go be safe," Sabo explained. Luffy's eyes widened, and he hurried inside, dragging Ace with him. When they got to their room, Luffy dumped out all the first aid stuff they didn't need anymore, and packed all of his new toys inside, though the blocks couldn't fit, much to his displeasure. But he managed to get all of the dolls and figures, along with his original stuffed bear and the dragon. His backpack was now heavy, but he insisted he would carry it because there were his treasures inside. Ace took the backpack with all of their money and treasure, and Sabo took the one with maps and other materials they'd need some day and didn't want to ask the Whitebeards for.

When they got out on deck, pirates were already hammering things down to the deck, furling the sails tightly. There were some unfamiliar faces on the rocky ground, helping to anchor the ship to the rock with metal that was being hammered into the bottom of the ship and anchored down deeply into the ground, drilling holes in it to do so.

Haruta walked with them to where they would be going. Luffy walked unsteadily over the bumpy ground, his backpack looking to be too heavy for him, but he was adamant that he carry it, so his brothers didn't protest, though they went slowly so he could walk with them. Haruta was patient, and they saw pirates and citizens all heading up to the higher levels.

Ace was becoming nervous when he looked behind them, seeing the sky was becoming almost black. He felt himself heat up, and managed to touch the seastone now hooked to his belt by a wire before he burst into flames. He had not learned how to control it. He was depending solely on the sea stone. He would practice soon, he vowed to himself.

He slowed a little bit before he knew he was safe and let go of the sea stone band, letting it swing against his shorts. Through fabric, it didn't do anything, only when it was touching him directly. They saw windows and doors for shops and homes had been covered by metal or wood. Sabo saw something and smiled, hurrying to the side and finding a pipe. It was around the same size of his original. He hit the ground with it hard to see if it broke, and only the ground splintered slightly.

He grinned, and carried it with him. "That's not fair," Ace complained.

"Finders keepers," Sabo bragged. Haruta asked why he was keeping that. "Our weapons to use before we escaped our old life were pipes just like this one. Of course we couldn't find swords there, so we got some pipes," he explained. Haruta didn't ask for more details, but did so he'd like to see him fight some day.

Ace mused, "We haven't practiced in awhile. We'll get rusty."

"Nuh-uh, Ace and Sabo are super strong, Fairy!" Ace ruffled his hair, which was whipping around everywhere with the wind. Ace pulled the hood up so he didn't get any wetter than he already was. Haruta smiled, though he showed very slight irritation with his nickname. Though he took it well overall.

They walked up a huge set of stairs, which Luffy held on Sabo's back for, with Ace behind him in case Luffy fell. He didn't, and they made it to the upper levels, just barely able to see the Moby Dick, which wasn't moving at all in the erratic waves crashing against it. That was reassuring. Haruta said, "Don't worry, this has happened to us before. A very long time ago, so we know what to do and won't freak out."

Ace and Sabo were reassured by this, glad that the pirates weren't overcome with fear. Even the citizens weren't. But they were used to it coming yearly, after all. Luffy was watching and put his backpack down and then screamed when it started to blow away. Ace was quick enough and caught it. It wasn't very heavy to anyone else, even though it had been to Luffy.

The youngest took it back and put it back on, holding onto the straps firmly. Whitebeards began to hurry from the outcrop and up the stairs to the upper level. Whitebeard was last to come up, and the citizens all looked a bit worried. After all, Whitebeard wasn't seen much in Paradise, and this wasn't a protected island. No Paradise islands were protected under a yonko.

He didn't acknowledge any of the citizens, and instead watched the storm get worse. "Why don't you take Luffy a bit higher, maybe the Galley La folks would let you stay inside once the storm gets worse. I'm sure it will be scary," the captain suggested.

Someone near them heard and hesitantly said, "The children are all welcome inside the Galley La company building. You'll be safer there." Ace and Sabo thanked him before walking with Luffy up more stairs and to a grassy area in front of a large building with the name of the company above the entrance.

When they went inside, they saw many children with their parents. They were playing, and Luffy smiled at seeing all the children his age. He hurried to the nearest girl, looking his age, and offered to play with her, since he had a lot of toys. He seemed to completely forget about his brothers as other little children flocked to him to all play together. It was adorable. These children were so much nicer to Luffy than the snotty brats from their previous homes.

Their beanies were still on, but it was suspicious to have sunglasses on inside, and would probably bring more attention to them, so they took them off and just pulled the hats down a little bit.

"I hope our future home will have children for Luffy to play with," Sabo said, Ace agreeing. They watched as a more disrespectful boy came over and took one of the toys out of Luffy's hand. Ace and Sabo frowned, but Sabo kept Ace from getting up, wanting to see how Luffy would handle it.

"That wasn't very nice. You could have asked and I would'a given it to you to play with," he said in a reprimanding voice. "No one else did that, you should be like us and be friendly." The others kids watched their little confrontation, and the rude boy looked ashamed, and a little teary. Luffy stood up and took the toy, saying, "This one is better cause it is easier to hold. But you gotta share and give'em back later, kay?" The boy nodded, and the argument was over.

They both return to the group to play. Ace and Sabo grinned, impressed and proud with Luffy's reaction. He didn't let the boy walk all over him, but was not mean about it. When the windows started to rattle as the storm got worse, a few of you youngest started to get scared and abandoned Luffy's toys to go to their parents.

Luffy hurriedly put all his toys in a pile and put them in his backpack before running to his brothers. "It'll be okay. They wouldn't put all of the kids in here if it wasn't safe," Sabo assured, petting his head. Luffy was still scared when the rain got even more intense, hammering down on the roof of the building, heard even from the first floor.

The kids were all quiet, which felt like it amplified the sounds. Then a blonde man with goggles on his forehead walked in, carrying a large tray of cupcakes and warm hot chocolate. He looked little uncomfortable, but said, "We brought you brave kids some sweets to help you get through this scary time." Then another man arrived, having a pigeon on his shoulder. The kids were amazed when the pigeon started to talk. But they were distracted from that when the smell of the sweets reached them. They hurried over, but were told to get in a neat line so they could get theirs quicker.

Luffy was at the back, but waited patiently, even if he was bouncing on his toes. When he got the hot chocolate and cupcake, he had the cupcake in his mouth while the small mug was held in both hands, him doing his very best not to spill. "Look what I got," Luffy said, and then added. "I am not gonna share the hot chocolate, but some of the cup cake."

Ace replied, "It's fine, you don't have to share. It's meant for the kids, after all." Luffy asked if he was sure, and Ace nodded, Sabo agreeing. Luffy beamed and sat down, licking off the frosting first and then eating the rest. The sweets successfully distracted the children from the storm raging on.

It was three hours before it let up, and the rain got less intense. The same blonde man from before entered again, and said, to the parents since many of the kids were napping, that they could leave if they wanted to go outside, even though it was drizzling and still windy. Only those whose children were awake left, and Luffy was still asleep, hugging his teddy bear while resting his head on Sabo's lap, sleeping peacefully.

When he did wake, they left the building and walked to the edge of the property to look at the ocean, which was still raging but not dangerous for those high up. They saw Whitebeard standing below, with the commanders there and much of the rest of the crew sitting on the stone or against the wall.

The brothers squinted their eyes and saw the Moby Dick's mast poking out of the ocean. There were going to be so many rooms with leaks or flooding, but it hadn't washed away, luckily. "Can we go and see everyone?" Luffy asked. Ace nodded, and carried the boy, who had given Sabo his backpack to carry, finally not insisting he be the one to carry his own toys.

They joined the pirates, and Thatch and a couple others went over and asked how they were. Meaning Luffy, of course. "Luffy played with some other children and then got some treats before napping. It went fine. How's the ship? It's hard to see from here," Ace asked.

"Marco flew over once the waves calmed and saw that it was okay besides some of the ratlines had snapped. The masts are still fine, but the ship will need some work, which is really lucky we're here, where it's their jobs to fix up ships," Thatch explained. "We sealed the doors and portholes from the inside, so there shouldn't be too much flooding."

They were glad the ship was still able to sail, even if it needed some work. "But man, we did not miss this storm one bit. It's terrible," Thatch complained.

"Loaf Head, why don't you look like bread anymore?" Luffy wondered, seeing Thatch's hair that was down and pulled back from his face with a hairband.

A couple pirates within earshot laughed, but Thatch wasn't bothered. "Well, my hair isn't actually bread. It just looks like that. This is how it looks when I sleep or take a shower," he explained patiently.

"Hmmmm… your name is still Loaf Head, though," Luffy decided. Thatch laughed, and accepted that just fine.

The storm slowly but steadily got less and less intense before residents started to go back to their homes to start on the repairs. Much of the city was damaged, so it was surprising the ship had fared alright. When Sabo said that, Haruta was over and said, "The ship is made out of the strongest wood there is. It's called 'Adam's Wood', from the strongest tree in the world. It's extremely expensive.

"Pops has been sailing on this ship from the start, over forty years ago, and it's still in great condition, though paint often comes off and ropes snap occasionally. But it's made to withstand things like this, or cannon blasts," he finished.

"Wow!" Luffy exclaimed, very impressed with the wood. They eventually went back down once the storm was truly over, but were all careful not to slip on the wet stone below them. Ace caught sight of Marco talking to someone who was holding a wet paper, arguing with the first mate. Ace pulled his hat down, and made Sabo put his back on.

The freckled brother tilted his head to the side, and Sabo saw Marco with his hands up, trying to deescalate the argument he was having. "Think it's about us?" the blonde asked quietly.

"Hopefully not," Ace replied. Luffy didn't hear them, and instead was talking to Thatch about the hot chocolate he'd had and asking Thatch to make it for him again. Eventually, Marco approached them walking down the steps.

"What was that about?" Thatch asked his brother.

Marco easily said, "Someone mistook these three as missing children. I made them understand that they don't even live here. They dropped it and said they wouldn't cause any problems."

Thatch looked confused. "That's weird. I wonder why, they're in disguise. Though everyone knows they're with us now." Marco nodded but said they should be in disguise next time they were in a busy city as well. Luffy told Marco about the treats he and the other little kids got, and the phoenix paid attention very well. Ace and Sabo really appreciated how the Whitebeards treated Luffy. And them, but mostly Luffy. They weren't impatient or annoyed with him.

Well, some didn't like his nicknames, but had mostly gotten over it when they realized he wouldn't stop and didn't mean anything by them. The one who thought his own nickname was hilarious was "Piano Mouth". They honestly didn't even know his real name, but he laughed whenever Luffy called him that, which was rare. They didn't run into the same people much besides the commanders. There were a lot of people on the ship after all.

When the crew reached the ship, they took note of the small amount of damage, and unsealed the doors so they could enter. One of the portholes had cracked, but had not shattered. The captain's room's window had broken and the shudders to try and protect it had been washed away. So the crew worked on using buckets to get the water out through the large windows. This was the only room with windows this big.

Ace and Sabo helped out with getting water out while Luffy jumped on the huge bed. He was tiny on it, since it was bigger than the captain. Fifty Luffys would probably comfortably fit. Once the water was out, they worked on drying the floorboards. The rugs needed to be wrung out, along with any other fabrics in the room.

Ace lit up suddenly and fumbled to touch the sea stone, but it had already evaporated all of the water below him. He looked down, and took a step forward. He wasn't touching anything or anyone so the fire didn't spread to any other objects or people. He cautiously walked around the room, Marco right beside him in case the fire spread at all he had a bucket of water.

But the fire didn't spread, and the wood was dry again. "Can you turn it off?" Sabo asked, holding Luffy at a distance. Luffy was in awe. Ace scrunched his eyebrows, and the fire fizzled away.

"I did it!" Ace exclaimed, and Luffy cheered for him.

"Ace is so cool!" The teen grinned, and bowed for Luffy. Marco pat his back encouragingly.

"Nice progress, Ace. I think this is the start of you being able to at least turn it off if you flame up," he praised with a smile. Ace nodded, beaming and so proud of himself. Turning it off had been easy compared to keeping it there at the same temperature and amount. There were very few footprints, but they were there. Luckily, rugs were usually over those areas.

They took out the other fabrics to air dry on the deck as the Galley La crew unanchored the ship and set it back in the sea to float in place again. Luffy helped with what he could, carrying buckets of water and pouring them over the side of the ship. When he dropped one in, he started crying, but Namur saw and easily brought the bucket out.

"Don't worry, Luffy. It was an accident. Just try to be more careful," Namur said, words kind but voice flat. Though that was how he always sounded when he spoke to everyone. Luffy was then very careful with the buckets, and didn't drop any over the side again. Thatch came out with cupcakes as a snack. Some thought it was a strange choice of a snack, not knowing it was mostly for Luffy, who ran over and picked the best cupcake with the most sprinkles.

"Thank you, Loaf Head! Your bread is back, I like the bread head more," he said.

"You're welcome. I do too. That's why I style it like this," he replied in a happy voice. Ace and Sabo each took a cupcake as well. Luffy carefully ate his, more careful than Ace and Sabo were expecting. He peeled the wrapped off and ate it neatly, though he still got frosting all over his mouth. Sabo wiped it off with a napkin Thatch had brought just for Luffy.

Luffy said, "Back at the other place we didn't have these." Ace and Sabo nodded, feeling like they were walking on eggshells, or trying to tiptoe around a bomb, a bond of unwanted information. But luckily, Luffy said nothing more about their old life, and no one heard what he'd said.

The three went back to work. With the effort of many hundreds of pirates and the shipwrights from Galley La, the ship was fixed up by the end of the day. Frayed ropes were replaced, the porthole glass was fixed, and Whitebeard's window was replaced as well. His fabrics were laying on the dry deck to dry out with the sun on it.

The rest of the stay at Water 7 was pretty uneventful, and no one said anything about Ace, Sabo and Luffy being the kids in the missing posters. Marco snuffed out the information leak, which the brothers were grateful for. Still, no one on the ship knew, as Marco checked the papers every day, and dropped the damning posters overboard.

So they sailed off after the log pose set, heading to the next island on their way to the East Blue destination. It would be a small island with nothing on it, and set in a day. So no one was exactly excited about it, and they'd restocked at Water 7, so there would be nothing to do when they got there. Well, Luffy could play outside if there was nothing and no one who lived there.

One day, three days out from Water 7, Sabo and Ace both came down with colds. They insisted Luffy not be in the same room as them when they didn't have masks, and the youngest wasn't happy being separated by his brothers even for a little while. While they were in the infirmary getting check ups, Luffy angrily sat outside the double doors, not allowed to go inside. He pouted and glared, arms crossed. And they were taking forever, making him more and more upset before he finally had enough and pushed on the doors to ask what was taking them so long, but the doors wouldn't open.

He pushed with all his might, but the door wouldn't open. He started to cry in frustration, and the first person to find him via the crying was Thatch, who ran over and asked what was wrong. "D-Door wo-won't open!" he cried, and Thatch looked through the windows to see Ace and Sabo were both in there, being checked up on by different nurses.

"Luffy, they're getting check ups. Meaning they are making sure they are both healthy. They don't want you to get sick, too," Thatch said patiently. "They don't want you in there, so they locked the door," he explained. Luffy was still crying.

"I wanna see A-Ace and Sabo!" he bawled. Thatch picked him up and showed him to the window.

He said soothingly, "See, they're fine, they're just being checked up on to see if they're sick or injured. They don't want any interruptions. And I'm sure Ace and Sabo want to see you, too, but they also want you to be healthy." Luffy's lip still wobbled, and he wiped his runny nose with his hand before seeing he got snot on it and started trying to shake it off. This upset him, too.

"Why don't we go get a napkin? And you can help me make them something nice if they are sick," Thatch offered kindly. Luffy looked in the window longingly, before he grudgingly nodded. Thatch brought him to the kitchen, not even flinching when Luffy finally wiped his hand all over his shirt. It was just lucky Luffy didn't wipe it on _Thatch's_ clothes.

Since lunch had ended long ago, no one was cooking and Thatch had been in a commanders' meeting. So they were the only ones in there. "Why don't we make them some sandwiches? There we can combine some good, healthy ingredients." Luffy nodded, and asked to wash his hands cause they had germs on them now. "Good idea."

Both he and Thatch washed their hands in the sink, before he put Luffy down. Thatch got out the ingredients, and Luffy assembled the sandwiches, completely distracted from his earlier episode, looking forward to making Ace and Sabo good food if they don't feel good.

He assembled the roast beef, green vegetables, and sauces that he and Thatch knew Ace and Sabo liked. Thatch knew that Luffy was not doing very well and the food was uneven, but having something Luffy worked hard on would matter more to his brothers than the taste of it.

As Luffy worked, he talked about a wide range of topics, from his favorite food to how he liked fluffy dogs more than short haired dogs. But then he started to talk about a topic no one had heard about: his old home life. And Thatch was confused.

"At the other place, we never make our food, and I like making food. But the cooks didn't let us into the kitchen! And we never gots to pick what was for dinner," Luffy complained. Thatch had thought that the boys had been escaped slaves. He knew he should stop Luffy from saying anymore, but he couldn't help but want to know more. How slaves were treated at Mary Geoise. There was always the possibility that the three weren't normal slaves.

They could have been treated like pets, meaning they did get fed and bathed, but were still not free. A better life than a normal slave, but still not a way of life that would make you happy. "Did you have a master who made you food?"

"Master?" Luffy questioned. "No, we didn't have masters, the sad people did and I felt sad for them so we always gave them food when no one was watching. And pillows, too. And baths, because they were always sad and so we wanted to help make them not."

Thatch was starting to piece together the story. "What kind of clothes did you wear up there?" he asked in a simple curious voice.

Luffy scowled. "Itchy ones. All white, and I got yelled at when I got it dirty. One time mean daddy hit me when I was a baby cause I got a stain on the little shirt I had. I don't remember but Ace and Sabo told me and they always kept me away from mommy and daddy cause they were mean. I heard Ace say they were evil one time. I didn't like them, I don't miss them," Luffy explained, fixing up the sandwiches. Thatch didn't even need to ask for more details. "So we stole some stuff like moneys and health things and maps so we could get away and go live a happy life on our own. But then we got caught stealing your boat and now we are here instead."

Thatch knew he was right, but had to make sure. "Luffy, were you a world noble?"

Luffy frowned. "No. Everyone is noble even if they don't have moneys. Ace and Sabo say that we're no better than anyone else so we have to be kind and nice to other people who are nice, too." That confirmed it. The brothers had been world nobles and had run away because they hated their life up there. It made sense now.

Thatch didn't care one bit. The three boys did not act or behave anything like a Celestial Dragon would. They ran away, taking a monumental chance, which was why they were so desperate to not go back to Sabaody. "Luffy, you shouldn't talk to other people about your previous life. They might not like that," he said emphatically, though still in a kind voice. Not everyone would see it the way Thatch did.

"Oh yeah! Pineapple and Banana Giant said not to cause not everyone would like that. You have to keep it a secret, too!" Luffy said, now in a hush. He wasn't surprised that Pops knew or that they kept the information from everyone. It was sensitive information that could be disastrous for the boys if it leaked.

"I promise I won't tell anyone. It's our little secret," Thatch said with a wink.

Luffy smiled. "You're nice, I like you a lot. You should stay with us when we go on our home island," he said, and Thatch cooed loudly. Luffy was so sweet, how could you ever think he had been a noble? Noble children did _not_ act like this. He was proud of the way Ace and Sabo had raised Luffy.

"I like you a lot, too, Luffy. And though I would like to see you more, I can't leave the crew. They're my precious family, like you can't leave your brothers," Thatch said, eyes sparkling at the smiling boy.

Luffy nodded. "I'll miss you though. So you have to come visit or we come visit you."

"I'll miss you too and would very much like to visit. Maybe when you're older and stronger, you three could come join us again someday in the future," Thatch said, cleaning up the food and washing the counter and his hands. "Now, why don't we go give Ace and Sabo their snacks? I'm sure they'll be happy since you worked so hard on them."

Luffy climbed off of the stool and nodded. He carried the napkins while Thatch carried the sandwiches. Thatch didn't think any different of them, actually thought of them _better_ now. Not only did they hate their lives and run away, but Luffy said they secretly helped the slaves by feeding them and giving them baths. He wouldn't tell a soul, not even Marco or Pops.

When they got to the infirmary, Thatch opened the door and carried the food in. Luffy was instructed to wait in the doorway, and he did. "Luffy made you both some snacks to feel better," Thatch said. They both looked like they had colds and had stuffed up noses. They also both had masks on.

"Thanks for helping him Thatch. It was terrible hearing him crying outside the door," Ace lamented, and then took one of the sandwiches. He thanked Luffy, and when he took a bite, his face turned red. Apparently Luffy put too much spices, but Ace ate the whole thing, thanking Luffy very much.

Sabo's wasn't spicy, it was sweeter, but he ate it as well. "Wow, Lu! You're a great chef," Sabo said, mouth covered by a mask again. Luffy beamed and rocked back and forth with a shy smile.

"I'll cook with Loaf Head more, it was fun," he said, and Thatch walked over and ruffled his hair. Ace and Sabo were discharged, and Luffy happily walked with them to the library.


	6. A Short Break

**Trying_To_Be_Happy: They're both adorable together, even more focus on that in this chapter.**

**chickie434: Lucci would be an idiot to attack the Whitebeards, especially their little ball of sunshine. He'd be dead in an instant lol.**

**Sixcupsofcoffeetogo: <3**

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**Shorter chapter, but lots of fluff and humor! Enjoy~**

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Luffy screamed as he slid down a slide that was made for him. It was really poles with slats of metal fencing taped down to them. It started at the cabin's roof and stretched downwards until it turned into a plastic on the deck that had water on it. The crew had made him a water slide when he was getting restless since it was taking awhile to get to the empty island. They encountered a couple storms that set them back quite a bit.

The boy was having a blast, and when he reached the water part, someone would toss a bucket of water on him as he slid. They even made a pulley system out of rope to put a bucket in the water to then bring back up to use again.

Haruta had a camera den den that was usually used for important jobs, but he was taking pictures of Luffy in it. Over the past couple of weeks being with the Whitebeards, it was clear they'd grown attached to the three, Luffy the most. He was a little ball of sunshine, and everyone was glad they'd promised to take them to the East Blue. They had more time with them that way.

The slide wasn't stable enough for one of the adults to use, but was perfectly fine and safe for Luffy, who was tiny. Whitebeard was watching with a fond smile. Ace and Sabo knew they didn't want them to leave, but as much as they liked and appreciated the pirates, their dream hadn't changed.

The future _possibly_ had, as they were considering coming back once they were stronger and older. They didn't say that to anyone, not wanting to make a promise that could possibly be broken. Luffy was very attached to Thatch, or Loaf Head. The two teens were glad they never got stupid nicknames. Whenever one of the pirates asked, Luffy didn't understand why he would call his brothers anything but Ace and Sabo. After all, they were Ace and Sabo. That was his logic, and no one argued.

When they did reach the island, the crew got off and played with Luffy on the grassy emptiness. There was almost nothing on this island, only sparse trees and strangely shaped animals, so it was safe for him to run around on. They played freeze tag, well, most of Thatch and Haruta's division. Many were watching from the ship or starting to make the bonfire that would have dinner that night.

After Luffy tired himself out, he went to Whitebeard and climbed onto his leg to take a nap, since Ace and Sabo were helping Thatch set everything for dinner up. It was going to be a huge barbeque. Haruta took photos of Luffy curled up on Whitebeard's leg, who didn't protest being used as a bed for the moment.

But it was adorable. Even the more gruff members thought it was endearing, while some laughed. The great pirate Whitebeard, being used as a bed for a four year old. While Luffy slept, the slide's parts were put away and the water mopped up.

When the pirates and older brothers were done setting everything up, it was already getting late and closer to dinner. So Ace walked to the captain with a smile, and woke Luffy up. "Lu, wake up. We're having dinner soon. And Thatch promised s'mores."

Luffy woke up sleepily until he heard the word "s'mores". Ace also woke him because if he napped too late, it would make it hard for him to sleep. He slid off of Whitebeard's leg by going down his shin and off of his foot with a laugh.

"Banana Giant is another slide," Luffy announced, and then ran to the fire to see if Thatch needed any help. The pirates laughed at Luffy's words. Marco teased, "Now you're a Giant Banana Slide. We should replace the title 'The Strongest Man Alive' with that. The fearless, Giant Banana Slide." The pirates erupted into laughter, Whitebeard shaking his head.

"Fools," he muttered. "Luffy is four, he has an excuse. You are all _adult_ idiots. Think twice before you call me that again." The crew was silent for a good ten seconds before they all shouted, "Giant Banana Slide!"

"Brats!"

Ace and Sabo were laughing while Luffy handed Thatch potatoes and vegetables that he was cutting up and putting on skewers. Luffy liked the sound of laughter. It was never heard back at Mary Geoise. Here, it was always around. Ace and Sabo were so happy free, as was Luffy. They didn't miss any aspect of their old lives. They loved to be helpful, do things normal people did. Like wash dishes, take the trash out, and help clean.

Nobody would ever be able to realize they had been world nobles just by observing their behavior. Luffy really liked Thatch, and thought that he would have been a better daddy than their real daddy, but Ace and Sabo asked him not to say that. Thatch was attached enough already.

When the food was being grilled, Luffy sat on a pillow, listening to the pirates tell him stories about their adventures, mostly in the New World. They left out all of the messy details of violence, and just talked about the exotic islands they visited. Luffy was in awe, and Sabo and Ace could tell the pirates were over exaggerating things, but they were happy Luffy was happy.

When the first rounds of the skewers were served, Luffy had three small skewers while everyone else had two big ones. Thatch had broken the skewers in half for Luffy, making sure there were no splintered pieces of wood.

Drinks were served, and only the brothers weren't drinking any form of alcohol. They each had lemonade, and Luffy had his nose plugged, hating the smell of the alcohol. And then the pirates started to smell of it as well. Ace and Sabo saw his much the smell was bothering him, and moved him to a spot where the wind was blowing away from him, carrying the scent of alcohol away from him instead of in his direction.

After dinner, a massive amount of ingredients for s'mores were brought out. They sometimes forgot just how many pirates there were here. Luffy had two smores for every one the adults had. His crackers were snapped in half so it seemed, to him, that he was getting more than he actually was. Ace and Sabo were impressed with that thinking, and knew they'd be using that in the future.

Luffy would eat less if he thought he was eating more. It was smart, in their opinions. When the dinner and dessert were being cleaned up and brought back to the ship, a couple of the pirates stopped and looked behind them. But it was very dark, even with the moon and star light shining down on the grassy plane.

"People landed on the other side of the island. We'll take the ship out a bit just to be safe," Marco explained when Ace and Sabo looked confused. Luffy was crashing and so Sabo was carrying him to bed. It was late, for him, so he was almost comatose.

"Is it safe?" Ace asked.

Marco nodded. "No one challenges us in Paradise unless they are incredibly stupid and suicidal. Don't worry. But they'll probably be here tomorrow as well. They need the log pose to set for them, too. Goodnight, guys," Marco said, and walked back to help with bringing the grill back up the ramp.

Ace and Sabo brought their baby brother to their room, changing him into his pajamas while he was asleep, and then tucked him in. Ace and Sabo were on either side, smiling. "I'm glad we stole their ship," Ace said simply.

Sabo smiled, "They're building very fun memories for Luffy."

"And us," Ace replied. Sabo nodded, and Luffy coughed quietly before turning on his side and curling into a ball under the covers.

The next day, some of the commanders and Ace and Sabo left to go see who had landed. Ace and Sabo were mostly curious, and if it were enemies, then they'd like to practice, since they hadn't gotten much time to do so. Marco also offered to help Ace with control. Being on a near empty island was helpful in many ways. Luffy was on the ship with Thatch.

When the small group of powerful people entered a clearing, they saw the other ship. It was very big, but not as big as the Moby Dick. It had a lot of crewmembers, as well. Ace and Sabo weren't sure what to do, whether to progress, so they did what the commanders did, which was walk right out into the clearing.

"Yo, neighbors," Haruta said. All of the pirates, since their ship had a black flag, looked.

"Who the hell are you?" Ace didn't know why they didn't know they were Whitebeards. Sabo pointed out that not all of the commanders had bounty posters. Ace and Sabo were standing a bit behind Haruta, but were both taller than he was. The pirates locked eyes on Ace and Sabo, and said something that nobody was thinking.

"Hey, it's the Celestial Dragon brats! Get them!" Ace and Sabo froze, though they were in fear of how the commanders would react.

When pirates started to rush at the group, Haruta pulled out his sword and sliced the air, cutting the group of pirates closest to them across the chests, spraying blood everywhere. "You dare threaten our friends in the presence of the Whitebeard commanders?" he asked in an ice cold voice. "I don't know what you're talking about, but whatever it is, it seems like damning information."

There was no cue before the commanders pummeled the pirates who were after and exposed Ace and Sabo. And Luffy, too. The galleon was easily cut in thirds by Vista, and Kingdew, Rayuko, Izo and Curiel destroyed the rest. When the commanders turned around, Ace and Sabo fled.

"Wait! Ace, Sabo, wait!" Haruta shouted. Vista was suddenly in front of them and Sabo brandished his pole with shaking hands.

"Calm down, guys. We don't know what they were talking about, but you guys are Ace and Sabo. And no one talks about our pasts. Some of us are murderers. We don't judge based on our pasts, only our presents," Vista said kindly. Sabo barely lowered the pole.

Haruta was behind them, and asked, "Did you think we were gonna hurt you?" in a sad voice. Ace and Sabo didn't know what to think. "Even if you were born Celestial Dragons, it's clear you aren't one of them. What world noble helps clean the bathrooms, or cooks for others, or laughs and smiles with regular people?"

Ace and Sabo both looked down in shame, Sabo lowering his pole. "We won't tell anyone else if you don't want us to," Curiel said simply.

The freckled teen said, "Don't tell anyone. Not everyone will react like that," in a quiet voice. The commanders promised they wouldn't tell anyone else, though Vista said they needed to tell the captain. "Whitebeard and Marco already know." The commanders were surprised at first, but then they seemed to realize that of course the captain would already know. "We also think Thatch may know as well."

That shocked them. Thatch, as Izo had once put it, could not keep his damn mouth shut if it was to save a life. "Wait, _what?!_ Why do you think Thatch knows?" Rayuko demanded in shock.

Sabo said, "We think Luffy told him on accident. When he was barely awake he said he promised not to tell anyone our secrets again. The only person we can think of in that situation was Thatch." The others lost their shock. It was obvious Thatch adored Luffy, so of course he wouldn't tell anyone damning information about him and his brothers. Not what could put their safety in jeopardy.

Cruiel put his hand on Sabo's shoulder. "No one will let anybody on our crew, or anyone else, hurt you. We'll help train you to be stronger before you're on your own. You'll need it."

And that was when their informal boot camp started.

The commanders were a bit ruthless with their training of the teens. They fought Ace with haki, bypassing his fire powers that he was attempting to learn, while Sabo fought against the swordsmen with his pole, which was surprisingly sturdy considering it was junk back at Water 7. They were trained for most of the day, exhausted by the end and only able to eat and then go to bed.

Luffy cheered them on from the side, mostly sitting with Thatch or Whitebeard. Thatch had, in fact, been told by Luffy, so half of the commanders and the captain knew about their pasts. They wished that everyone could be accepting like this, but they knew that just wouldn't happen. Hopefully no one would notice in the East Blue. Hopefully.

But, they were told in private that, if they ever got in trouble, the pirates would come to help them as fast as possible.

Luffy drank a smoothie while being read to with a picture book by Thatch while Ace and Sabo trained. The log pose had set a couple days ago, but this island was a very good training ground, no one to interrupt them and nothing to cause damage to that would need to be fixed. Luffy was sitting in Thatch's lap while reading. He was so attached to Luffy and it would be hard for both him and the boy to part.

But the two older siblings were pretty sure they'd join again once they were in firm belief that Luffy would not get hurt easily. It would be in at least ten years, but the pirates said they'd wait for them if they did choose to come back some day.

"Loaf Head, can we go for a walk?" Luffy asked after he finished his smoothie. "My legs want to move." Thatch closed the book, putting a blade of grass in the page they stopped at.

"Sure, that sounds like a good idea," Thatch said with a smile. Luffy stood up and shouted, "Ace, Sabo, we are going for a walk!"

Ace panted, "Okay, Lu! Have fun!" before resuming his fight with Marco. Sabo was just as exhausted, his arms tired and hating holding the pipe anymore. But they were due for a break soon anyways, and they could really do with some water. Well, a lot of water. They watched out of the corner of their eyes at Thatch and Luffy walking along the coast of the island. They trusted Thatch fully to protect Lu, so they weren't worried.

Marco got a good hit on Ace, throwing him backwards and into Sabo, knocking both of them to the ground. They both panted, sweating profusely, though neither of them had shirts on and only shorts. It was hot, and Sabo definitely wasn't going to wear his long sleeve clothes.

"Alright, break time," Whitebeard announced, which made Ace and Sabo groan and stand up to guzzle water like they had been stuck in the desert for days. They then collapsed onto the grass, and Ace fell asleep. Sabo turned to the side to see Luffy looking into the water while Thatch was behind him, making sure he didn't fall in. They hadn't gotten far before Luffy became distracted with something. He smiled at the boy, and got up, ready to practice again, no matter if his body protested. It was to keep Luffy safe, and being uncomfortable was worth it.

"Look, a shell!" Luffy said, pointing to a shining seashell in the water. Thatch crouched down and pulled his sleeve up to take the shell out and hand it to the boy. "Wow, thank you!" Luffy said, and put the shell into his pocket. "Oh yeah, I wanted to walk. I forgot," and their walk resumed.

Luffy babbled about random things, like a cloud that he thought looked like a baby, or when Ace would sing a bedtime song to him when he had bad dreams. Thatch asked Luffy to sing it for him, and when he did, it was clear the lyrics were not correct. But the words were sweet.

"You love your brothers so much, don't you?" Luffy nodded, exclaiming that they were the best. Thatch smiled and looked ahead. "Look, Luffy, a long dog," the chef said and pointed to a really, really long dog. Luffy asked if it was really a dog. "Yup. Everything on this island is very long. Like the trees. See them? It's just not having a lot of animals, so we haven't seen too much of them."

"Wow! Weird things are in the world, aren't they?" Luffy mused.

Thatch chuckled. "Very weird things, yes. Do you want to know about the weirdest things?" Luffy took the bait, and excitedly said he wanted to. "You know Ace's devil fruit, right? There are hundreds of them out there! Ranging from all sorts of powers." He explained the most outlandish powers, and Luffy wished he could make food out of anything. Thatch didn't seem surprised about that wish at all.

"If I had that, I could help you cook and we won't spend any money. I like being helpful, it's fun," Luffy said, and held onto Thatch's pant leg. Thatch's face fell a bit, really going to miss them. But he brought the smile back.

"Being helpful is very rewarding, I agree. It really helps out when someone assists you with something," Thatch replied. Luffy wanted to stop and have an apple, so they stopped at one of the long apple trees, and Thatch lifted Luffy to let him pick one himself. "Remember to not eat it whole, take little bites like Ace and Sabo showed you." Luffy nodded and took a bite.

"Yummy!" he said, and then they started walking again, apple juice dripping from Luffy's mouth. They walked for about a half an hour before Luffy's legs got tired, and Thatch carried him back the rest of the way on his shoulders, holding his legs tightly so there was no chance of him falling off. He felt Thatch's hair and said it was "a soft loaf of bread". Thatch just chuckled.

When they got back, Luffy cheered his brothers on, seeing them working again. They had improved a lot, though they were incredibly sore by the end of the day, and passed out almost a second after they finished dinner. Luffy slept with them at that time, not at all bothered with an earlier bedtime.

They would be leaving in two days, once Ace could successfully turn on and turn off his powers at will. He insisted he try and come up with a move to use his fire as a weapon, even if his hand to hand was good in the first place. Using a pipe was more familiar, but a devil fruit was meant to be used, so he would.

When they did leave, it was after another party outside, and Luffy had been made a mini chef's outfit to help Thatch cook. The 16th division made it for him, and Haruta was taking photos again with the camera den den that was meant for work related things.

On the day they left, Luffy said goodbye to the fun island from the side of the ship, waving from the railing as Ace and Sabo napped against one another. They were exhausted and incredibly sore. Even Ace had some bruises from the pirates using haki against him, bypassing his logia powers. Sabo had even more bruises, but no cuts, thankfully. Never had they trained that hard. Even though it was painful later, they were thankful for it, and felt stronger from the 3 days of non-stop working.

The next island wasn't too far from there, but the boys weren't allowed off of the ship at that island. There was one major city, named Jaya, and apparently it was not a nice place to be. It was a rough town with lots of ruthless pirates who cause trouble just for the fun of it. These pirates would only be going on land to stock.

The bars weren't worth the irritating pirates who thought they were super strong when they had bunties under fifty million. And New World pirates hated when Paradise pirates were full of themselves. Though many of them were guilty of that early in their pirate careers. While there were only four large bounty holders, many had small ones. And before joining the crew, they thought they were hot stuff.

While Ace and Sabo napped, Luffy got bored, before he was called by Haruta to come see something. Luffy hurried over, wondering what it was. He was led through the ship and down the halls until they reached the commanders' bedroom hall, where he'd only been to help get the water out of Whitebeard's room after Aqua Laguna.

Haruta opened the empty second commanders' bedroom and Luffy gasped. It was a _huge_ pillow fort all over the room. "Wow!" he exclaimed, and didn't hesitate to crawl into the space, where all of his toys were waiting for him. He was beaming and then Thatch and Haruta followed him in. Thatch had a large chocolate milkshake with chocolate sprinkles on top.

Luffy enjoyed the time there so much, because Loaf Head and Fairy were playing with him. They built extravagant houses out of blocks and played with the dolls. The giraffe stuffed animal turned into a monster that the dolls had to fight off, with the animal figures guarding the houses from the giant giraffe.

Ace and Sabo eventually joined and Haruta traded. Luffy had a very fun time, and promised to visit the fort again soon. Ace and Sabo were so happy that the pirates liked Luffy so much. Even those who weren't the commanders said hi to him in the halls or made funny faces that would make the youngest laugh.

The three would miss the pirates, but were now certain that they'd return someday.

While they didn't have enough space for Ace to practice his move, he focused on fine tuning his powers. He lit candles, or put forth just enough fire to boil water in a pot. Sabo was able to practice with his pipe and Ace eventually practiced hand to hand combat that went along with the fire powers.

Luffy insisted on training, so he trained by doing obstacle courses that the pirates made for him. It tired him out, but he did it continuously, and was then praised by his brothers for his stamina, which needed to be explained to him. "I'll be strong, too. I have to start early to be gooder!" he declared, and ran back to do the course again.

By the time they made it to Jaya, the two older brothers were sure they would be fine to go to Mock Town, but Luffy got upset when he was told that _they_ could go, but he couldn't. So, they decided to not step foot off the ship, not wanting to make Luffy upset and feel left out, since Loaf Head and Fairy would be going off and wouldn't be there to play with him.

When Ace had suggested he hang out with Banana Giant, Luffy said he was too big to play in his special fort, which was definitely true.


	7. What A Mess

**Trying_To_Be_Happy: OMG fanart would make me so happy! It really is too bad your tablet is broken. :( I do digital art, too, and I'd be so upset if mine broke. I just got a new one that has a screen and I'm so happy!**

**Sixcupsofcoffeetogo: <3 <3 <3**

**Nekokratik: The next chapter is really fluffy, too. Lucci has his own big job, I think he wouldn't care about the boys because he wouldn't get to kill anyone, his favorite hobby, lol. Plus I don't think he's stupid enough to attack or steal someone who was with the Whitebeards and risk Pops' wrath.**

**Robnyx: Thanks!**

**chickie434: More cavities to come.**

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**The only real dark part of the story is in this chapter, but the fluff will continue next chapter. Enjoy~**

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While Thatch, Haruta and Jozu and Vista made their way into town, Thatch rolling the two, attached and massive wagons that they piled food into, they talked, but kept their eyes out for any troublesome idiots. Pirates glared or smirked at them, but the New World pirates could tell they were all useless. They filled the cart with non-perishables, cleaning out most of the market, and taking all of the fresh food from the outdoor market.

The pirates on the island, when they saw the amount of food the Whitebeards were taking, they didn't even get angry. They should have been alarmed that all of _their_ food was disappearing, but they thought it wasn't their problem, even though they were eating this stuff, as well.

Haruta entered a bar while Thatch waited with the cart outside, so the smaller commander could get a dozen kegs of beer and more than two dozen bottles of sake. _This,_ however, got the pirates' attention. The bar owner sold them the products, getting a huge amount of money all at once. He also recognized the commander from him visiting the bar before.

He wasn't afraid of the Whitebeards for his own safety, but owed them a debt for chasing out rogue pirates once when they attempted to trash the bar and the bar keeper as well. And he just got a ton of money, so that was also a plus.

The three pirates hauled the kegs into the second wagon, which Haruta would be pushing back to the ship, and pirates came out of the bar they'd cleaned out in a couple minutes. "Oi, you think you can just take all of the sake and get away with it?" a bratty man asked, more like taunted, with an annoying smile plastered on his face.

"Just ignore him," Vista said, and the other two did so, not that they felt the need to break out into a fight for no real reason. They didn't get hot headed over simple things like this, only when someone threatened their family and could actually do what they said they could (which was rare).

More than a few rookies or even regular starter pirates challenged them, threatening to take Pops' head, but of course they didn't feel anything when useless fodder tried to do so. Only when there were powerful New World crews did they react.

However, Vista's words and all three of their attitudes pissed off the pirate, who's first mate and a couple women cheered him on. Of course, they'd never heard of the Bellamy pirates. "You better give that back, shit heads. I have a 30,000,000 bounty!" Haruta laughed into his hand, making Bellamy quite pissed.

"Listen man, you really don't want to bother us," Thatch said simply, not even sparing a look. Bellamy started stomping over to him, and Thatch rolled up his sleeve to show his mark. "You really want to antagonize a Whitebeard commander?" he asked. It was always entertaining when people reacted to realizing who they were. Well, not people in general, but snobby pirates or nobles.

Bellamy backed off, of course, tail between his legs. "See you, pirate fodder. Or not, you're not strong enough for the New World. I wouldn't brag about a bounty that small later in Paradise, if you even make it there," Haruta taunted, enjoying their angry but fearful expressions.

None of them followed the three as they headed back through town and to the ship. They wheeled the wagons up the ramp and to the kitchen for things that needed to be frozen or in the refrigerator, while the rest went into the three storage rooms.

-x-

Everyone got to help carry the things to the room, and Luffy ran over, saying he wanted to help too, like Ace and Sabo were. Jozu picked out a small cardboard box with some apples in it. "It would be really helpful if you could carry this to the storage room." Luffy beamed and took the box carrying it proudly to the room before setting it with the other apples.

Ace ruffled his hair, telling him he was helpful and important. Luffy carried box after box of apples. They were in a massive container, but the pirates were leaving that for last so they could continue to give Luffy little boxes of them. Ace and Sabo carried the more heavy things, asking for them as mini training.

It was nearing dinner time that some idiot pirates acted up. Ace was outside sitting with Luffy and watching the beautiful sunset when they both started smelling smoke. And the crackling of flames. They turned around and saw some pirates on the docks, and that the side of the ship was on fire. "Luffy, go get someone!" Ace shouted. Luffy screamed at the flames and ran inside to get help.

Ace knew he couldn't be burned, and frantically tried to douse the fire, but it spread. Before anyone made it outside, he thrust his hands into the flames, and sucked them off of the ship and into his arms, making him feel warm inside. The flames were out, and the ship had very minor wounds.

The teen jumped onto the deck and stormed towards the pirates, and beat the hell out of them, burning them badly and tossing the devil fruit user into the water to drown as he burned his men down, stepping on their burns. They endangered Luffy and Sabo, and he wouldn't tolerate that.

He saw their ship, and stormed there as well. The few live pirates watched as he let loose a fire fist that slammed straight through the ship and into the water, making it crumble as it burned. He made sure the fire didn't spread before putting the flames out by absorbing them.

Storming back to the ship, the pirates saw Ace on fire, looking furious before Marco flew him back up, his flames under control. "Ace, what the hell happened?" Izo asked. No one scolded him for his language. "Some pirates set the ship on fire, so I made them go away and then burned their ship as well. They endangered Luffy, and I sorta lost it for a bit."

The pirates knew "go away" meant kill, but he didn't want to say it in front of Luffy. Jozu asked how he put out the flames so quickly. "I was able to suck them up into my body. The ship didn't burn too long," he explained.

"Wow. Thank you. That could have been bad if it spread to the sails. Damn idiots!" Haruta raged.

"I guess they were really upset we took all of their alcohol," Vista mused, stroking his mustache. Whitebeard was angry behind them, that someone had the gall to burn his ship. Luffy turned around and noticed his anger. He went to hug his leg. "Don't worry, Banana Giant, Ace saved us!"

The captain chuckled, losing some of his anger. "He did, didn't he? Your brothers are very strong. Are you proud of them?"

"Super!"

The crew chuckled. "Well, the Adam's Wood kept it from being too damaged. I think we should move the ship away from the dock now, in case any other idiots decide to pick a fight," the captain explained, putting Luffy in his hand to carry around.

Thatch grew irritated, and hurried back to the kitchen so the food wasn't ruined. It wasn't. The pirates pulled up the anchor and sailed out a bit from the island for safety. They wouldn't usually do it so early, but better safe than sorry. Idiots could be more dangerous than smart people.

They left two days later, all of the other pirate ships had docked on other parts of the island just to be sure their own ships weren't burned and crews decimated. Sabo was irate he hadn't been there for revenge as well, but Ace's quick thinking and powers were very helpful. And crucial in that moment. They didn't have enough water to douse the flames.

When they left the island, and were far out from any islands, the crew had a sleepover outside. Well, a group of the crew. They brought out sleeping bags and slept under the stars because Luffy had asked. It was safe since there was still someone on watch. Ace, Sabo and Luffy shared a large sleeping bag, with pillows. It was nice, and a good way to fall asleep. Snoring was heard throughout the deck, but no one woke from it.

Ace kept their sleeping bag very warm during the cold night. Most of them woke when the sun rose, but the brothers stayed asleep, and Haruta, always the one to run to catch moments, took a picture of them sleeping, Luffy curled on his side and Sabo's arm slightly over him. Ace on his back, arms stretched out so Luffy was resting his head on one of them beneath his pillow.

The day after that, Thatch was teaching the three to fish. Luffy was in Thatch's arms for him to be high enough to fish but not in danger of falling overboard. Nothing bit, and eventually Luffy grew sleepy and wanted a nap. Ace took him to his room and tucked him in before returning to Thatch and Sabo. Thatch was now using the pole Luffy had been.

Since there weren't usually children on the ship, there was no pole small enough for Luffy, so he was clumsy with it, but thankfully didn't drop it overboard. Ace resumed fishing, and he and Sabo both got bites, and Sabo was able to pull up a huge fish the size of a shark. "Awesome," Ace commented. "But I won't lose!" he declared. Thatch chuckled. The fish thrashed around before Sabo hit it in the head with his pole. Not enough to draw blood but easily killed it.

Thatch saw a box in the water, and was able to wrap the line around it. He was an expert fisherman. That was all the food he'd been able to catch when he was on his own before he joined the crew all those years ago.

He reeled it in and took the little chest. There was a lock, but it was flimsy, so he was able to easily break it and open the chest. "Huh, I wonder how this got tossed into the ocean," he said, looking at the purple devil fruit.

"Hey, that's a devil fruit. Looks a lot different than mine did, though," Ace commented. Thatch looked at it with a conflicted expression. "Are you gonna eat it?" the freckled teen asked. The chef shrugged.

"I don't know. Never really thought about one, but if it's as badass as yours or Marco's, sign me up," he said. "I'll think about it for awhile. Well, after I go check what it is. Don't want to lose the ability to swim by turning into a jacket."

Sabo asked, "Wait, _what?"_

Thatch laughed, sticking the devil fruit back in the chest. "Not all devil fruits are useful. Yeah, there's one where you turn into a jacket and someone else wears you. That's not the only stupid one. You can also turn into just floating balls, or make some food. Big Mom's crew has all of the food based devil fruits, though, so I won't be getting one of those," the chef explained.

Sabo laughed, "Well then it's lucky Ace didn't get a shit devil fruit like that." Ace agreed, saying he'd definitely dodged a bullet.

"A logia is the rarest to find besides a mythical zoan, like Marco is," Thatch replied. "So you were pretty lucky to find it." Ace explained that he'd eaten it by accident, thinking it was an apple at first. "Are you glad you ate it?"

"Well I sure as hell am glad I ended up with fire instead of turning into a jacket. But yeah, once I can control it fully, I think I'll be pretty strong. Though it might not be very useful on the island we stay on. Maybe I can be their resident firefighter, since I can suck the fire up."

Thatch turned sad for a moment. "So, you're still planning on leaving?"

Sabo and Ace both nodded. "We've really enjoyed our time here so far, but it hasn't changed our dream and goal," Sabo explained in a kind voice. "We'll always be grateful, and will definitely stay in touch." Thatch nodded, that they would stay in touch and give them a den den mushi that connected with the crew.

They had Sabo's fish for dinner, along with pasta, since there was not enough fish for everyone to have full servings of it. Luffy had shell pasta which was easier for him to eat with a spoon while the rest had normal sized pasta. Luffy no longer sat on books to let him reach the table, the shipwrights had made him a booster seat that was clipped onto the bench securely.

Luffy still had good table manners, even after being exposed to the messy eaters. "Hey, I fished up a devil fruit today. I forgot to say anything," Thatch said halfway through the meal. The pirates were interested, especially those who were already power holders. Luffy listened excitedly, remembering their conversation about devil fruits on the Long Island.

"Do you know what it is?" Jozu asked curiously.

"Yeah, I looked it up. I'm not sure if it's a logia or paramecia. It's a bit strange, but seems pretty powerful. The dark-dark fruit. Not sure if I'm gonna eat it or sell it, but I haven't decided yet. Secretly, I was hoping for the food creating one, but I think that one is already taken." He pouted, and Luffy chimed in, "I want to be able to talk to animals cause then I'd have friends a lot. Like birds and fishes. Or a pet, cause that would be cool, too."

Sabo said, "That would be a very cool fruit, I agree." The commanders nodded in agreement, making Luffy smile. "So where is it?" Sabo asked, going back to speaking to Thatch.

"I'm keeping it on me in case anyone tries to snatch it when I'm not looking. Though the rule is first come first served when it comes to finding devil fruits, which rarely happens. So the finder decides what to do with it."

Luffy said, "Stealing isn't nice."

"No, it's not," Haruta agreed. "Nobody steals from anyone else on this ship. Not only because they'd easily get caught, but there's a punishment for stealing." Luffy grew sad at the word "punishment" thinking of the times he heard it and the word was accompanied with a sad person being hurt. But no one noticed it before he was distracted from the depressing memory.

After dinner, Ace and Sabo were bathing, and Luffy was adamant about not wanting to bath today, for some reason, so Thatch was watching him. They were looking at the rapidly darkening sky. "I like that star," Luffy said pointing to one. Of course, Thatch had no idea which one, but played along.

"I like that star, too. Did you know that some of these stars are not stars, but planets?" Thatch asked.

"Wow, really?" Thatch nodded. "That's so cool! I remember there is a planet with a hoop around it. And another big one. Sabo said there's a storm on it. I feel bad for people there if there's always a storm."

Thatch chuckled. "I'm sure the people there can deal with it just fine." He didn't point out that Jupiter had no life on it, since there was no real point. Luffy then wondered if the other planets had devil fruits, too. "That's a good question. I'm not sure. I bet they would have cool devil fruits there if they did."

"Not a jacket one?"

"Definitely not a jacket one," Thatch laughed. He brought out the devil fruit from his pocket. "I don't think I'm going to eat it." Luffy asked why not. "Well, I like being strong by myself. I'm a swordsman, not a fruit user. It's not a fruit I would want to eat, even if it could be powerful."

"I can eat it!" Luffy exclaimed.

"No, Luffy. You're too little for this devil fruit. Besides, you'll be plenty strong on your own. I'm sure you'll be as strong as Sabo some day. Or as strong as one of us commanders! So, no eating the fruit." Luffy pouted, but accepted it, agreeing that he wouldn't eat it.

"Can I hold it, though? I didn't get to touch Ace's. It had swirlies," Luffy asked, and Thatch trusted him not to eat it. He held it in his little hands, and when the ship rocked to the side a bit, he dropped it. "Oh no!" he shouted when it fell overboard and they both watched it sink. "I'm sorry!"

Thatch shushed him before he started to cry. "I told you I wasn't gonna eat it, remember? I'm not upset. It was an accident anyways. We didn't need the money, so we didn't lose anything important, right? There's no need to cry."

Luffy sniffled, but nodded. He still felt bad for dropping it, even if it was an accident. He'd never do that on purpose. He looked over Thatch's shoulder. "Piano Mouth!" he exclaimed. Teach was holding a knife, and Thatch wondered why.

"What's with the knife, Teach?" he asked in confusion.

"Where's the devil fruit?" he asked in a wicked voice. Thatch put Luffy down and told him to go inside now. Luffy looked confused, but ran to the door and inside.

Thatch put his hand on a sword on his hip, getting a bad feeling about this. "It's not here anymore. It fell over the side of the ship and sank. Were you going to take it from me?" Thatch asked in a dark voice. He pulled the sword on his left immediately when Teach looked absolutely livid.

He lunged at Thatch, but he easily knocked the knife from his hand and cut the tendon on the back of his leg, making him unable to walk on that leg, collapsing to the ground. "It was an accident, but Luffy dropping it overboard seems like it was a good thing."

"I'm gonna kill that little shit!" Teach raged. Thatch grew furious and stabbed down on Teach's hand hard enough to go all the way through and deep into the wood. He screamed, and then the door opened from the inside, showing Luffy peeking around the door with Marco and Kingdew there. "If you ever touch him, I'll murder you."

Marco saw the scene, and asked what the heck (Luffy was in hearing range) was going on. "Teach was looking for the fruit with a knife aimed at me. He's a traitor. Luffy accidentally dropped it overboard, so he didn't get it."

Marco and Kingdew were both furious, and Teach was trying to get the sword out of his hand, cutting his other as he tried to drag it up and out of his skin. Marco stepped forward and broke both of Teach's ankles. He wouldn't be walking anytime soon. Luffy gasped. "Luffy, why don't you go inside and get Banana Giant? That would be very helpful." Luffy nodded and ran off to get Whitebeard.

The captain came out quickly, luckily. Luffy had said Piano Mouth was a bad man and did a bad thing, so it wasn't very much information. He exited the cabin and found Teach on the ground, hand and leg bleeding with mangled ankles, three of his sons looking at him in fury and disgust. The captain demanded to know what was going on. Luffy ran inside to be with his brothers.

"Teach was going after Thatch with a knife for the devil fruit. Luffy accidentally dropped it into the water, so he couldn't get it. He said he'd kill Luffy, so I punished him until everyone came out. He's a traitor, Pops," Thatch explained. Whitebeard radiated fury, and it was good Luffy wasn't out there to see it.

He asked Teach why he was going to do what he was planning to. A devil fruit was not worthy or betraying the family. And threatening to kill a four year old. That was probably what had Thatch the angriest, more than the obvious betrayal.

But Teach gave his reasons, probably knowing he was screwed if he told the truth or if he lied. "I waited over twenty years to find that fruit! And I was so close to it and that little _shit_ dropped it overboard!"

"Why did you want that fruit in particular," Whitebeard asked darkly, sending chills up the spines of even those who the cold words were not aimed at. The fury bled off of him, like an aura touching all of the others.

"To kill you and become the pirate king!" Thatch used the but of his other sword to slam it into Thatch's upper back, breaking his spine with a scream from the traitor. All three commanders were breathing heavily in absolute _rage._ First he wants to kill Thatch, then Luffy and now Pops?! Well, he sounded like he was planning to kill Pops the whole time. It wasn't a decision he'd just made on the spot.

The captain asked how long he'd been planning this. "From the beginning!"

"Take him to the brig. Your punishment is execution, Teach. I've never been more disgusted by anyone compared to you." Marco grabbed him by his hair and dragged him through the ship screaming in anger. But he couldn't fight back against one commander, let alone three including Marco.

Luffy was in the bath house, so he didn't see the scary scene or Teach being dragged to the cold, empty and unused brig. He was dragged down the stairs and then locked in a cell. The brig was suffocating, the air stale and humid. They shackled Teach's wrists to the wall and his broken ankles into ball chains. He would be going nowhere, and they locked the metal door behind them.

"That asshole. He was plotting from the beginning? He joined when he was twelve," Marco hissed. They were each angry and disgusted, but underneath those feelings were ones of sadness and hurt. But those feelings were buried by the hate they were feeling.

-x-

"Ace, Sabo! Bad stuff happened!" Luffy shouted the moment and pushed open the bathroom door. They were both in the bathtub, and Luffy ran over to them, getting wet. Both brothers were worried.

"What happened?" Sabo asked, standing up and getting out of the water, drying himself with a towel. Ace followed, too, albeit a bit more sluggish.

"Piano Mouth tried hurting Loaf Head cause he wanted the devil fruit!" Luffy exclaimed. The brothers were shocked, and got dressed before Ace picked Luffy up and they hurried to ask what had happened, since Luffy clearly didn't see the whole thing, luckily. If there was a traitor of some sort, then the pirates would have become furious, and Luffy didn't need to see the kind men turn scary.

They found Marco angrily stomping through the halls, but when he saw Luffy, his face instantly softened. "Hey, Luffy. Are you okay?" Luffy nodded, and asked if Loaf Head was okay. "Yes, he's perfectly fine. It's very lucky that you dropped the devil fruit. It would have been much worse if he'd gotten ahold of it," Marco explained.

Luffy smiled, glad he wasn't in trouble about it and it had helped. "Is Piano Mouth a bad guy?"

"Yes, a very bad guy. Thank you for getting us," the phoenix zoan said sincerely. Luffy nodded. "He wanted to hurt us for the devil fruit. You saw him first, right? Over Thatch's shoulder?" Luffy nodded again. "That was also very helpful. Thank you very much, Luffy."

Luffy looked bashful and nodded with a shy smile. Ace and Sabo smiled at it. Luffy was so sweet and cute. "So, what's going to happen to him?" They didn't even know his real name, only knew him as Piano Mouth.

"He will take a long swim," Marco replied, code words for executed by sea. Either drowned or deserted. Or eaten by sea kings, depending if any were in the area. He was a traitor, and they weren't taken lightly by pirate crews. Their punishment was almost always death.

Morale on the ship was clearly low once everyone found out about what happened the next morning. Luffy tried cheering everyone up, but it didn't affect many, and it made Luffy sad. That he couldn't be helpful now when he should be.

He pouted at the back of the ship with his legs stuck between the bars. Ace and Sabo were there, Sabo reading him a story. When Luffy was distracted and not really paying attention, he was asked by Sabo if he'd rather go play with his toys in the special fort. Luffy didn't answer for a little bit.

"No, I want everyone to be happy again," Luffy whined, kicking his feet harder at those words. Ace spoke next.

"They're sad because their friend tried hurting them, and never liked them in the first place. That would be like Sabo saying he doesn't love you. That would hurt a lot, wouldn't it?" Luffy nodded. That would hurt a lot. "That's how they feel. Only their brother not only didn't love them, but instead wanted to kill Loaf Head and Banana Giant," Ace explained patiently.

Luffy understood that was bad, and that the pirates should be very sad about that. But he still wanted to cheer them up, but couldn't. "Hopefully they'll feel better over time," Sabo said simply before adding, "There's not much we can do about this one, Lu." Luffy continued to pout, but understood why he couldn't help them, even if he really wanted to.

Ace and Sabo were there when Teach was executed. Luffy was napping in his fort, laying on top of a couple pillows. They watched in silence as Teach was thrown onto a cheap raft. They tossed bloody meat into the water as Teach swore at them. The brothers had not seen this side of the pirates yet. The pirate side they knew was there, but was usually hidden from Luffy's eyes and knowledge.

It didn't take long for a sea king to come up, and it ate the small amount of bloody meat before diving again. But it came back up from below like a shark, and ate the boat and Teach whole. Nobody in the crowd was happy, they just had detached expressions as they headed back to do other things.

Ace and Sabo felt like intruders in their pain, so they headed back to the fort room, where Luffy still was sleeping. Ace laid down next to him, looking at the fort's ceiling, held up by an umbrella stand that would usually be outside during sunny days.

Marco came in while Luffy napped and Sabo read, crawling into the fort through the little opening between two chairs. "Hey guys. I'm sorry people seem to be cutting you off. It's nothing personal, Teach had just been with us for decades. We're not only sad and angry at him, but disappointed in ourselves for not seeing his true colors earlier."

He spoke quietly, and Sabo closed his book. "We know you are all hurting. And we're not offended. Luffy's a bit sad he can't cheer anyone up, but we're not angry at anyone. Promise." Then he paused. "We're so sorry, Marco. For all of you. I can't imagine if Ace just declared he didn't love me and then attempted to kill myself or Luffy. So, we don't know how that feels, but we understand how it must hurt."

Marco nodded, not making eye contact. "Pops is having the hardest time, I'm sure. He was the captain, he accepted Teach to the crew, and he never saw the person he was through his mask of being a nice person. I think it will make him doubt his credibility as captain. And everyone else has started to look at one another more skeptically. Now that they know a traitor could be here and hiding. Teach was like poison. I'm sure we'll get over it, but the scar of betrayal will always be here. But don't worry, we're still heading to the East Blue."

Ace said, "We don't mind if everyone needs to take a break. Or a little vacation at whatever island we visit next. It's not like we have a deadline to get there." Sabo nodded in a agreement, and Marco smiled. Then Luffy suddenly woke up and started crying. Ace and Sabo started to panic.

"Lu, what's wrong? Did you have a bad dream?" Sabo questioned. Luffy nodded. "Wanna talk about it?" Marco took his leave once Luffy started talking about his dream, when the crew ran out of food and they all starved.

Ace shushed him. "We won't run out of food. That's why Loaf Head buys so much food in advance, so we can make it to the next island. Besides, they've had a massive crew for decades, I think they know how to make food last. Right?" Luffy sniffled and nodded, rubbing his nose on the blanket tent.

Neither of them said anything of it, as Luffy probably didn't even notice he'd done it and the sheets weren't being used for sleeping on, after all. "I guess you're right."

"I'm always right," Ace said, sounding indignant. It was meant to be a joke, but Luffy didn't see it that way.

"I know that," Luffy said simply. Ace "aww"ed and hugged Luffy, who giggled. "Why was Pineapple in here? Was he sad?"

Ace nodded, wearing a sad expression. "They are all very sad, but we told him that they could take their time, maybe take a vacation. We're in no real hurry. The island will still be there if we take a bit longer, right?" Luffy nodded.

Then he smiled. "I look happy to our new life. I mean, I look forward, yeah." Sabo kissed his head and Ace hugged him.

"We do, too, Lu. We'll get to live like normal people. With nice neighbors, and real jobs. And we'll even have our own house, with how much money we took. And you'll find friends, too," Sabo said in a cheery voice. "The future looks fun, doesn't it?"

"Yeah!"


	8. A Little Vacation

**Sixcupsofcoffeetogo: <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3!!!**

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**I finished another story, but it's so long and the editing process is my least favorite part. *sigh. It will be out sometime soon (hopefully). I'm already posting 6 stories, so it can wait lol. Lots of fluff in this chapter. Enjoy~**

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The pirates decided they did need a break, but that it wouldn't be at the next island. A desert kingdom wasn't the most comfortable place. So they were stopping at the island after that, which was a winter island. They'd have hot chocolates every night, play in the snow, enjoy the cold.

And the brothers agreed. Alabasta was not a comfortable place. Not only were they in a drought, but it was hot and there was nothing pretty to look at. Usually, Luffy would stand at the railing and inspect the island, asking questions excitedly. Here, all it was was the desert, and Luffy was unimpressed.

They all got a kick out of it when it was announced they landed on an island, and Luffy ran out to look, only to look confused for a moment, before his expression turned into one of disappointment and then disapproval. That the island wasn't interesting. It made some of the pirates laugh, and Luffy walked away from the railing, pouting.

"Not interesting enough for ya?" Haruta asked, and Luffy shook his head.

"It's only one color. And a boring color, too. I don't like yellow," he said, even though he was wearing a bright yellow shirt. Haruta crouched down and agreed, that Alabasta wasn't the most interesting island. "Did you ever go on it?"

"Of course! There's no island in the Grand Line we haven't visited at least once. Except for Raftel, but no one has ever gone there," the commander explained.

Luffy cocked his head. "Why can you not go there?" Haruta seemed shocked, and he asked if he'd ever heard of the pirate king. "No, who's that?"

Everyone was very surprised, since surely, someone had told him stories of the pirate king. Even Ace and Sabo were surprised they'd never brought it up, for even they knew about it. Even though they were detached from history and the rest of the world up at Mary Geoise, they knew of Gold Roger.

Haruta stood and brought Luffy to Whitebeard. "Pops, tell Luffy about the pirate king. He's never heard of him, and there's no one better to talk about him than you." Luffy liked when Banana Giant gave stories. He sat on his knee and listened to the captain speak about his old friend/rival, and how he was incredibly influential and strong.

Luffy was very engaged, and Ace and Sabo were listening as well. Luffy made periodic "wow"s and "cool"s. Ace and Sabo could tell Whitebeard had a very different view of Roger than the rest of the world. He painted the man as compassionate for his friends and crew, terribly strong and brave, and a good pirate. Ace and Sabo knew the man as evil, who started the pirate era that caused so much pain for people.

Of course the two older brothers knew the government saw things much more differently than normal people and pirates. And the three had been mostly exposed to the government's view. Sabo smuggled a history book up to Mary Geoise after a trip to Sabaody when they were twelve, and it was their first realization that the things they learned in their classes were out of touch with reality. Of basically everything.

Luffy was hearing about the pirate king for the first time in a very different manner than Ace and Sabo had many years ago. Once again, they were glad they got Luffy away from that life quickly. He would probably grow to not remember anything about Mary Geoise. Hopefully he remembered the Whitebeards, but he was only four. Ace decided they'd ask for copies of the photos Haruta often took.

While Whitebeard described the adventures his friend and rival went on all those years ago, Ace approached Haruta. "What's up?" he asked.

"Can you give us copies of the photos you take? And a picture of all of the commanders. Luffy is so young, and we want him to somehow remember the fun times he had here," Ace explained. Haruta looked horrified when he realized Luffy would probably not recall these months on the crew.

"Definitely, I'll start taking more photos," he replied, seeming determined, and he went inside. Ace didn't think he'd take a picture now, but he photographed Luffy on Whitebeard's knee, eyes wide and mouth open as he listened to the stories.

Sabo told Ace that it was a good idea to get many pictures. They felt sad they hadn't been taking more already. But, they would tell Luffy stories about his first time on the Whitebeards' ship.

The only outing made on Alabasta was to get supplies to make it to Drum, the winter island they were heading to. Ace went with Marco to get it, since both of them were immune to the heat of the sun while the rest would stay on the ship, in the shade or indoors. Just being on the ship made it a bit cooler than on the island.

Luffy gushed to Sabo about the pirate king while Ace offered to help with the food and water. "He sounds very cool, you're right."

"I want to meet him!"

"Well, he's gone now. You can't ever meet him, Lu. He died," Sabo said simply. Luffy pouted, not liking that reply. He pointed out that Whitebeard got to meet him, it wasn't fair that they couldn't. He was in a bad mood after that conversation, sitting with his arms crossed angrily. Whitebeard thought it was entertaining, and Thatch distracted him from his grumpiness with nice, cold drinks.

But Luffy really wanted to meet Roger. Why'd he have to die? He sounded like a nice guy! Even if lots of people hated him, Whitebeard liked him, so he had to be good! That was his way of thinking, and no one told him otherwise. He'd really enjoyed hearing about his adventures, finding the One Piece.

Luffy wondered what it could be. Super treasure that everyone wanted? It couldn't be money or treasure, that was nothing special. Was it something for you to live forever? It couldn't be superpowers cause devil fruits existed. No one could answer his questions, so he was left to speculate.

Every now and again, he'd ask his brothers or Thatch if they thought a certain thing was the One Piece. When he was eating ice cream in the kitchen, Luffy asked Thatch if he thought the One Piece was to be able to eat anything you wanted and not get sick. Or when he asked Ace if he thought the power to control the whole world was the One Piece. Or if bringing dead people back to life was it.

Each time, there was the same answer. "Well, we will know the answer when somebody finally finds it." It was the fourth time that Luffy said, "But I want to find it first!"

Marco was there, and he looked at Luffy. "You want to find it?" the boy nodded. "Then you want to be the next pirate king? That's a big undertaking." Luffy blinked widely.

"Yeah, I wanna be the pirate king!" Ace ruffled his hair, and Sabo pointed out that he'd have to find his own crew to be the pirate king. The Whitebeards were not interested in that. Luffy started crying at that. "B-But I wanna do both!" he cried. He wanted to be the pirate king but also be with the Whitebeard's again.

The pirates around and his brothers looked at him fondly. "Well, you have a lot of time to decide, don't you? You still have to grow up. Get big and strong. I'm sure by then you will have made a decision," Sabo reasoned.

Luffy wiped his eyes and said that was a good point, though he was still sad. He really liked these people, and wanted to see them again, but as the days went by, he kept wondering what the One Piece was, and it was killing him not knowing! And he wouldn't know for a long time. Whitebeard said the pirate king had to be strong and powerful. They'd have to have a strong crew with him. He wanted to be pirates with Ace and Sabo, though.

To say he was conflicted was an understatement. And impatient. Even as he did other things and played other games, he still wondered about the One Piece. And he was excited about learning what it was, even if it was the worst case scenario that he wasn't the one to find it first.

When they landed on the island, Luffy was bundled up in jackets and scarves and a hat. He looked and felt puffy under all of the clothing, but it was cold here! Ace wasn't cold one bit, his body was always warm. Marco was similarly unaffected, but Sabo and the rest were freezing. Luffy slipped his way along the deck and to the railing. There was so much snow! At the old place, there was never this much snow!

"Ace, Sabo! The up high never had this much snow!" Luffy exclaimed. The brothers and the commanders who knew their past quickly steered him away from that thought.

"Want to go play in it?" Ace asked, and Luffy nodded, not saying anything more of their old lives. There was a ramp put down from the side of the ship to the snowy ground. They walked to the ramp and Luffy ran down and stepped into the snow, which he sank into his thighs. He tried taking another step, but that was hard. He tried pushing himself out of the snow, but his hands sunk into the snow when he tried.

"Need help?" Sabo asked, and Luffy nodded. Sabo picked him up and set him down on the ground where they could tell the snow wasn't as thick. He still sunk in, but was able to walk, albeit slowly and taking a lot of effort. He shivered and said, "It's cold."

Ace laughed haughtily as the snow melted around him, leaving him standing in the dry grass. Luffy slipped his way to his brother and grabbed onto his leg, warming up nicely. Sabo said, "You can't build snowmen or play snowball fights if you're with Ace."

Luffy gasped, and then ran to Sabo, making Ace scowl. Marco walked to the fire user, and said, "This could be a good place to train on how to fluctuate and maintain a stable body temperature," he offered. Ace agreed, that could be very helpful for him to fine tune that aspect of his power.

Sabo left to go further into the snow as some of the commanders and the captain went to talk to the mayor, while the rest played in the snow like children. Luffy, the only child, wasn't sure how to build a snowman. Thatch was beside him and balled up some snow and made it bigger and bigger until he had started the base of a snowman. Luffy watched him work, trying to do his own.

By the end of Thatch's snowman, Luffy thought he understood, and made mini snowmen. He ended up making dozens of them, and said, "My snowmen army!" Sabo built a large one across from Luffy.

"Your army can't possibly defeat my super snowman," Sabo said. Luffy argued that his snowmen army was the strongest force in the world. "Stronger than the Whitebeards?"

"Yes!"

Thatch chuckled. "Then those are so pretty strong snowmen. To take on even Banana Giant? They've gotta be pretty brave to do that."

"Of course they're brave cause I'm the leader! I'm the bravest!" Thatch chuckled, and agreed that Luffy was very brave. Other pirates were watching and laughing. Especially when the tree branch above him dropped snow on his head. He cried, completely contradicting his claim that he was the bravest. The pirates all broke into laughter and Sabo dug him out of the snow. His nose was bright pink from the cold.

"It's just some surprise snow. It won't hurt you," Sabo said kindly, picking him up. "Now, do you want to join a snowball fight? Then you can show us how strong you are." Luffy agreed, wanting to prove he was strong like his super strong big brothers. There were already snowball fights going on around them, but Thatch, Sabo and Haruta played with Luffy. Small snowballs that were thrown gently. The child was clumsy and his throws were weak, but his adversaries made up for that by acting like the balls were super strong.

When one actually landed where he was aiming, Thatch pretended the throw had been so powerful it knocked him backwards into the snow. He sat up and rubbed his arm. "Jeez, Luffy, not so hard."

"Oh, sorry," Luffy said. "But I'm strong, see!" he added excitedly.

A snowball from Sabo hit his head, knocking him on his butt. He didn't cry, but made more snowballs and threw that at Sabo in retaliation. "This is wer!"

"War?"

"Yeah, that!" and Luffy made dozens of snowballs in advance, all sitting in front of him as he threw them at Sabo, missing wildly, but Sabo purposely moved in front of them so they hit.

"Well, I will counter your strength by building a shield!" Sabo declared, Thatch running to Luffy to build their own shield.

Thatch said, "How about I make them and you use your strength to throw them?" Luffy agreed enthusiastically. Ace was frowning and pouting by the tree, arms crossed, all of the snow around him either gone or actively melting.

Knowing he would be unable to take part in the snowball fight, he dejectedly walked a bit to the side to start his lonesome training. Sabo felt bad for him, giving a small smile in his direction. You could practically see and feel the waves of regret and sadness wafting off of him. Poor guy. A winter island apparently wasn't good for him.

Luffy got too cold pretty soon, and ran to Ace to get warm, so he was good for one thing on this island. "Ace, did you see how many throws I did? I beat Sabo! And Sabo is super strong!" Luffy gushed with wide, shiny eyes. His cheeks and nose were red, so Ace hugged him to get him warmer.

"I think you were overestimating Sabo's strength. Or underestimating your own," Ace replied. Luffy agreed he was underestimating himself, since Sabo was super strong, there was no debate about that. Ace chuckled. Haruta took many pictures with the shivering camera den den.

The vacation on Drum island had been refreshing, and they spent it exploring the island. When the commanders were there, the killer rabbits left them alone, sensing how strong the commanders were.

They all aimed their sights at the drum with the castle, having a competition about who could get to the top fastest. Ace took part in it, since the cold didn't bother him, he couldn't be cut on the rocks, and he'd be fine falling back into the snow. Sabo and Luffy stood at the base, cheering him on. Jozu didn't want to take part, so he was guarding Sabo and Luffy from the killer rabbits that were watching from hidden areas.

Once the pirates were out of sight, Sabo started playing with Luffy. He enjoyed being tossed into the air and landing in the snow, sinking into its depths, since it was very thick near the bases of the mountains. He liked the feeling of sinking into the soft coldness.

After the first day, Luffy had gotten used to the cold fairly well. Also, Ace was there, a constant heater that even the regular pirates tried to use. But in Ace's words, he was no one's heater but Luffy's. He even shoved Sabo away when he was cold.

"Yeah, Sabo! Ace is _my_ heater!" Luffy exclaimed, bursting into giggles.

"Damn straight," Ace said, unable to help himself.

"Ace said a bad word!" Luffy shouted. "Go to time out!" Ace frowned and pretended to go to time out, sitting and pouting at the tree. Luffy followed him, and Sabo pointed out that Ace was in time out. "But I'm cold."

Apparently Luffy wasn't sure how time out worked. Though he was well behaved and had never really had time outs besides when their parents punished him and locked him in a room by himself before Ace and Sabo went to rescue him.

Raykuo was the first to fall, landing in the snow loudly. He was fine, if not angry he was the first to be disqualified. Slowly, everyone fell besides Ace and Marco. They were all sore, and nursed painful fingers, but they had not gone on a blizzard day. It was still snowing, but they didn't get frostbite.

"I'm gonna win!" Ace shouted as he climbed faster, neck and neck with Marco. Neither of them were bothered by the cold or harsh texture of the mountain.

"Keep dreaming," Marco shot back. They both got faster and faster before they were at the top. Ace gripped onto the edge of the drum and let out a burst of fire, melting the snow and causing Marco to falter. So Ace made it up first.

"I told you I'd win," Ace said.

"Doesn't count if you cheated," Marco replied easily. Neither of them were tired, as they both had very good stamina. Ace claimed he was being resourceful. Then they both took in the surroundings and saw the glittering castle.

"What are you boys doing here? This is my castle," an old woman with a bottle of alcohol said, walking over.

"We were just seeing who could get up faster. Do you li- ahh!" and Ace was thrown over the edge, cursing as he lost all his progress and then slammed into the snow, furious and shouting. Marco blinked at her once and then jumped down himself.

Luffy ran to Ace, asking if he was okay. "There's a witch up there who kicked me over the side!" Ace raged, lighting on fire. Luffy dodged, his lower lip wobbling from almost touching the fire. Ace immediately cooled down, and he went to Luffy and apologized profusely. "I didn't mean to hurt or scare you. I was just angry and frustrated. I worked so hard to get up there, and then was knocked down for no reason," he explained.

"I forgive you," Luffy said simply.

"Thanks, Lu," Ace replied, kissing his forehead and pulling the beanie down just a little more. Marco landed, and apologized to Ace about what had happened up there. "There's some crazy lady living up there. She kicked Ace off without even knowing if he would live. I think we should avoid her."

Haruta demanded to know why they weren't retaliating for someone potentially killing Ace. "He didn't die. And this is a vacation right? Do we usually go on man hunts during a vacation? Ace is fine, we just chose the wrong one to climb," Marco explained. Haruta and Thatch huffed. There were only a handful of the commanders there, so they were able to all walk back down the island next to one another, Sabo with Luffy on his back as he was sleepy and didn't want to walk the long distance.

It had been two weeks of the island before everyone decided they wanted to leave. It had been rejuvenating. Both the relaxing properties of being on a winter island and all of the time spent adventuring and goofing off with one another, bonding in a simple way after the fracture that had occurred in the family.

It was on the first day back at sea that the information many of them had been hiding came out. One of Haruta's division ended up getting the paper and found the missing posters. The reward had lowered _substantially_ , meaning the government didn't really care much about finding them anymore. Not that the boys were disappointed with that. The sooner they were forgotten about, the better.

Ace was walking with Luffy to their room since Luffy had a very upset stomach and was going to try and sleep it off when they ran into the man with the posters. "Is this true?" he asked, holding up the papers. Ace sighed, but was truthful. It was best not to lie now. If a regular pirate knew now, everyone would know.

"Yeah, we were Celestial Dragons and ran away from home," Ace admitted, looking worried.

The pirate's expression softened. "You know no one will hate you because of this, right? We all have backgrounds we don't want to talk about. You don't have to worry about us turning on you. I mean, everyone thinks of you three as part of the crew and family. I won't tell anyone else. It's your past, you decided what to say about it," and he handed Ace the posters. Ace looked shocked before a look of such peace and gratefulness appeared on his face.

He thanked the pirate, took the papers and swiftly burned them, then took his brother to his room. He stayed with Luffy as he slept, and Sabo arrived with the medication the nurses had given him to use to help with Luffy's upset stomach. Ace told him what had transpired and Sabo smiled. "These are really good people," Sabo said quietly so as to not wake Luffy.

"Yeah. I'm glad they caught us stealing their boat. Are you having second thoughts about leaving?" Ace asked slowly. Sabo shook his head.

"Nah. As much as Luffy likes these people, I want him to have a relatively normal life. Make friends his own age, good friends who will care about him. I also want us to live a normal life, working for our own money with our own responsibilities. I will always look back on these days with fond memories, but now is just not the time to stay," Sabo explained quietly, moving a strand of hair out of Luffy's face.

Ace smiled, glad they were on the same page. "Apparently we're just skipping Little Garden completely. A while ago they told me about it and I assumed we were docking there and just couldn't go on land. But we're bypassing it completely."

"What about the log pose? Doesn't it need to set?" Ace wondered. They were both talking quietly.

"No, I guess it takes a full year for the pose to set. Izo said that we're lucky since they know what direction the Red Line is, and we'll reach it and then sail along the side until we reach reverse mountain," Sabo explained. Ace seemed disappointed about not seeing dinosaurs, even from a distance. "Don't feel too bad, apparently that island carries extinct diseases that there are no cures for. Over a decade ago, apparently someone got sick from the island and died. After that, they swore to not even get into Little Garden's climate."

Ace raised his eyebrows. "The Grand Line sure is a strange place," he sighed. Sabo agreed. When Luffy woke up, he had to go to the bathroom again and they had him take the pills Sabo had brought. He wasn't happy, but the medicine did end up soothing his stomach and he slept for a long time before he woke up, hungry.

He got soup, but it was good soup, so he was fine with that. Sabo read him a picture book to get him back to sleep, and the three brothers spent the whole day inside their room to help Luffy feel better.


	9. A New Beginning

#### Rakarazateka: Thank you! I always finish my fics before publishing them. Besides one that stained my record, which I have now finished lol. I will never leave my readers hanging again!

**Nekokratik: Fluffy fluff at every turn with the Whitebeards!**

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**I finished my first ever crossover! It's almost 400 pages, and I have another 200 for a story I started posting already. -_- That's a lot of words to correct and pages to edit. I don't know when the crossover will be put up, and I won't spoil which fandom it is. (a one piece crossover, of course) Anyways, you might be sad in this chapter, but it had to happen. Enjoy~**

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"Look, Lu. We made it halfway across the world," Ace said when the Red Line came into view. He was holding Luffy, and all three of them had trouble believing they'd traveled across half of the planet. They were looking at the opposite side of the place they'd lived. So they were in awe and shock when it first came into view.

"Really?"

Sabo grinned and said, "Really. On the opposite side of the planet, that's our old home. It's like if we walked straight across the red line, we'd end up here. Soon, we'll be going up a waterfall, and then descending into a nice, calm ocean where we can live in peace. No more scary storms or the sparse pirate attack."

"We'll be left alone?" Luffy wondered. Would everyone at their new home accept them if they found out? Some of the pirates had found out but hadn't let the word spread, but were everyone like that?

Ace smiled. "That's the good thing about the Blues. The newscoo in the Blues doesn't talk about what happens in the Grand Line. So our missing posters won't be there. No one will know who we are or where we came from. We truly get to start from scratch and build the life we've always dreamt of."

Luffy started to sniffle, and his brothers worried they'd upset him. "There will be nice people? They won't glare or be mean?" His lower lip was wobbling. Sabo nodded and kissed his forehead.

"They will have no reason to be mean. Normal people don't look down on others the way Celestial Dragons do. And we don't treat others like that, so they won't treat us in the same way. I believe that humans are inherently good," Sabo said. "There are certain groups who are bad, but then there are the Whitebeards, right? And the people we've met on some of the islands were kind as well, right? Normal people."

Luffy nodded, and put his forehead to Ace's chest. "I'm happy," he mumbled. Ace chuckled, "We're glad you're happy. We are, too. And Banana Giant said he'll give us a personal den den so we can't keep in touch when we finally part."

"I'ma miss them," he said in a sad voice. Ace and Sabo agreed, but all three still wanted to leave. At least for now, and awhile so Luffy could grow up. Luffy asked how many more islands once they go in the East Blue.

They sat on the whale figure head, Luffy in Ace's lap, all looking at the Red Line they were now parallel to. "Well, the Grand Line and the Blues are very different. The Grand Line, you have to move from island to island, right? In the Blues, there are regular compasses that point in the same direction. So we can sail right past other islands to get to our destination. Travel is much simpler there," Ace explained simply.

They were nearing the end of their journey. The island they were setting out to was named "Dawn Island". It was part of the Goa Kingdom, but they were heading to the small village on the opposite side of the island. "It's called Windmill Village. Sounds peaceful, doesn't it?" Luffy nodded. He'd seen pictures of windmills in his picture books.

"The island also has a large mountain with a vast forest. Once we're all strong enough, we could go exploring. It could be a test of our strength!" Luffy was in awe, and nodded excitedly.

The two oldest brothers could feel the sadness wafting in the air around the ship. Many, many pirates were pouting or looking depressed. Even Whitebeard was a bit sad. They knew that the pirates were hoping that they'd suddenly change their minds and want to stay for good, but that just wasn't what was going to happen. The crew seemed to have finally realized that they were in fact going to part soon.

At dinner, the only people happy in the galley were the brothers. Ace and Sabo didn't feel guilt for leaving, since they made clear that was the end goal since the beginning. The ship stopped just short of reverse mountain as it had gotten too close to night to ascend and then descend from the Grand Line.

Sabo and Ace spent the time after Luffy went to bed getting important information from the nurses, who they rarely saw. Information about illnesses that wouldn't need a doctor's visit. Sabo took that duty while Ace talked to Thatch about cooking. What kinds of no-nos he should know. Things that could cause damage if two things were mixed.

While the nurses were compliant, Thatch moseyed about for a bit before Ace grew stern. "We are leaving, Thatch. And I want help from you for us to live safely. This is serious for us, I want your help."

"Sorry, Ace. I just grew really attached to you… and Luffy a lot."

"I know, Thatch. But you can help us in the long run by giving us tips about cooking, right?" Ace said patiently, even if he was a bit irritated he had to pull teeth to get help from the chef. But, he complied, and Ace filled a notebook with things to do and not to do. What types of cooking ware they should have, what kinds of food would help Luffy grow up stronger. And most importantly, anything that could endanger them. If they mixed something they shouldn't that could have dire consequences.

By the end of their information gathering, the notebooks were filled at least half way. Ace's was filled less than Sabo's since there was less information to record. Ace and Sabo went to bed that night, notebooks stuck in one of their original backpacks. They had much more belongings now, mostly clothes and toys, so they would be given more bags. They were also being given the beds they'd been sleeping on.

The Moby Dick would sail away from the island while the less identifiable pirates would stay and help the three get situated. A yonko crew like the Whitebeards being in the East Blue would raise attention from any marines, so they wanted to be as subtle in their passing along as possible. And they didn't want to scare the villagers they'd be living with.

In the morning, everyone helped to get the ship ready for Reverse Mountain. But the brothers couldn't be outside when it happened or they may be injured. So they were going to be in Whitebeard's walk-in closet, which was the safest place when being thrown around by the ascent and descent.

The sails were furled and they maneuvered the ship in place. Marco had a brief talk with the man residing at the Red Line before the brothers went inside to get ready. Luffy was taped with pillows, just in case. Ace and Sabo could handle being thrown around a bit, but Luffy was four, and was much more fragile.

The ship slowly tilted upwards before it settled and they leaned against the wall. They were ready for it but Luffy still squealed when the ship jarringly switched directions and they were now resting against the opposite side of the wall. They heard rushing water from inside and could only imagine how loud it was outside.

Once it had calmed down, they left the room and Luffy was removed from his pillow suit. They hurried outside to see the Red Line behind them, and a calm, blue ocean in front. There were more birds, seagulls and pelicans, than in the Grand Line. Already they could see differences. And the sky seemed endless, with little clouds.

The ship's sails were unfurled, and the Moby Dick slowly made its way through the edge of East Blue. The somber tone was chased away once everyone got over the fact (or just finally, truly accepted it) that they'd be parting soon. It was a party, with offerings from the pirates in the form of presents.

They were all wrapped in paper or in cardboard boxes, and the boys had no idea they were going to be a thing. They were two sets of beddings and blankets, along with pillows. They were actually given everything they'd been using in the guest room. Including the dresser and closet. And the three lamps. Since the pirates couldn't exactly give away couches, they would be buying some at Windmill Village.

Thatch donated a set of utensils and dishes. They were the cheaper ones, some made out of plastic, but they were still good quality. And it wasn't much since there were only three of them compared to the 1600 usual pirates on board. They were donated medical tools. Like a couple thermometers, a good amount of pain and stomach remedy pills, and basic first aid equipment.

The three were very thankful for all of the objects, but it wasn't over. Izo and his division made them all sort of outfits for all conditions. Multiple pajama outfits, jackets of varying thickness, pairs of shoes, hats, gloves, scarves, long pants and shorts. Sabo and Ace couldn't believe how many things they were getting for free. It let them save a lot of money that they'd stolen.

There was another sleepover outside on the deck, more this time than the last, so they could sleep with the boys. The island was four days away. Barely any time in the long run. They'd been on the ship for almost three months exactly. It would be strange living on land again, but they'd get used to it fairly quickly.

Thatch woke everyone up the next morning by wheeling a huge cart of breakfast out, with plates to hand out. It was like a buffet style meal, where they chose what they wanted and then left to eat somewhere out on deck. The three were going to miss Thatch's cooking, since they'd be cooking themselves soon. Thatch had delicious food.

He'd given Ace a copy of his cook book, so Ace and Sabo would learn to cook from the book made by a professional. Luffy had his plate loaded with berry pancakes and french toast with a lot of powdered sugar on it. Sabo made him get some fruits, and he got a large cup of it. Ace and Sabo got similar food on their own. They liked it, but it was mostly for Luffy to eat theirs if he was still hungry. He ate more than Sabo and Ace did, despite his tiny size.

Since it was safe in the East Blue and there were no sea kings, Sabo and Luffy went for a swim by the ship, Namur there just in case. Luffy was a bit afraid, but once he got in the water, he liked it. He tried swimming, and Sabo and Haruta helped him out. Thatch, Namur, and a handful of Marco's division went on the swim, as well.

Luffy was able to swim by the end of the lesson as long as someone was holding him around the waist to keep him afloat. But he learned to kick his feet and have his hands out in front of him. He cheered about it, as did the Whitebeards when he got back up and told them he would be a good swimmer some day.

Ace moped through the entire thing, since he couldn't go down with them. Marco had gone up to him and patted his head. "That's the only real thing you've lost from your powers. And Sabo is there, so if Luffy ever gets stuck in water, Sabo will be there."

Ace pouted and replied, "I couldn't play in the snow either."

"Yeah, but you learned to regulate your body temperature well. It was good practice. Besides, normal islands have all four seasons, so it will snow on Dawn Island every year. You have lots of time to play with him in the snow," Marco reasoned. Ace knew he was right, and nodded grudgingly.

He lost the grumpiness when Luffy ran over, wrapped in a beach towel much too big for him. "Did you see me? I swimmed!" Ace picked him up and sat the wet boy in his lap.

"I did see. It was quite impressive. I'm jealous I couldn't go in with you. My devil fruit didn't let me," Ace said, keeping the sadness out of his voice. Luffy just hugged him, not replying. Ace hugged him back, and raised his body temperature slowly so the water still dripping off of Luffy evaporated. "Look, it's like magic! I dried you off with my heat."

"Wow!" Luffy exclaimed in awe. "I wish I could have a devil fruit. But not a stupid one. I would not like a stupid one. Cause that swimming was fun," he babbled, and then began to go into detail about his swim, how it felt and how he wished there were fish he could have seen. "I'm glad there are no monsters here."

Sabo came over, dressed and dried. He overheard the boy and said, "I agree. In the Grand Line, sea kings are always a danger. They're scary, aren't they?"

Luffy nodded in agreement. The ship had been stationary so they could go on the swim, so the sails were unfurled and they headed off in the right direction. The compass was much more convenient than the log pose, though you needed to know your way around a map and understand directions. The easier part of it was that you could travel to any island, and didn't need to wait on each one to get to the next.

Whitebeard had Luffy in his hand, standing on the whale figure head, and telling him stories of their travels, and about how they would always remember the brothers. "Will you keep in touch with us?" the captain asked. Luffy was facing him, and nodded vehemently.

"I'll talk all the time," he promised. Banana Giant said they'd give them one of their best den den mushis that couldn't be tapped so no one would seem suspicious about the pirates contacting someone from the East Blue.

So far, there had been no marine interference, and Haruta was keeping up on that religiously, not going to allow any marines to interfere with the brothers' new life. "Do you still want to be the pirate king?"

Luffy put a finger to his chin in thought. "Yah. But you won't help me?" Whitebeard laughed, asking if the boy was trying to guilt him. Luffy giggled, but didn't reply. The laugh was enough answer, though.

"Well, whether you come back with us, or form your own crew, we'll always be there to help you out. And hopefully you'd come visit us a lot. I'm sure you'll be a powerful pirate by the time you leave Dawn Island in search of adventure," the captain said. "After all, you were on the Whitebeard Pirate crew!"

"I'll visit a lot, I promise," Luffy replied. Then he frowned. "I'll miss you all," he said in a sad voice. Whitebeard nodded, agreeing.

"That is the sad part about this. We will miss one another, but will know we're each happy, even separated. And it's not like it's goodbye forever. Not only will we keep in touch, but we'll definitely meet one day out on the wide sea. I swear on it, we'll see each other again." Luffy nodded, beaming and rocking back and forth in Banana Giant's hand. Ace and Sabo were thanking Marco and Thatch with sad but fond expressions. Thatch was near tears, and Ace gave him a hug. Haruta printed out the photos, and had made a scrap book and gave it to the two eldest.

Honestly, it was the best gift they'd been given, and they'd keep it forever. It was filled with so many photos of them, so happy. And if Luffy forgot, those pictures would always be a reminder of what they looked like. Each of the commanders' individual photos were on one page, with both their real names and Luffy's nicknames written below them, all in their own handwriting.

When the island came into view, the ship dropped anchor and Marco flew to the island to alert the villagers as to why they were there. He landed on the docks and saw just how quaint the village was. This would be a safe space, no one had a reason to come there. Plus, Ace and Sabo were strong now, and would become stronger, so they could protect Luffy and themselves.

He walked to the nearest person, the fishermen on the docks looking at him strangely. "Excuse me, where is the mayor to this town?" he asked. The men didn't seem to recognize him, which was not surprising. They hadn't been to the East Blue in decades, and hadn't visited this island before. There was no reason for them to know the face of Marco.

The pirate was directed to a bar where he found a woman and a short man speaking with her. "Excuse me, are you the mayor?" he asked. The man looked at him calculatingly.

"Yes. Who are you?" Then he said his name was Woop Slap.

Marco said his name, and then "I'm a commander of the Whitebeard pirates. We mean no harm, but we're dropping off a small family to live here. Their names are Ace, Sabo and Luffy. We didn't want to scare anybody with our presence. They'd like to buy a house. Are there any for sale?"

Woop Slap and the barmaid, Makino as she said, looked shocked. "Why do they want to live here?" Woop Slap demanded, rightfully on guard and suspicious.

"They came from a troubled life, and wish to raise their younger brother somewhere safe, living like normal people. They will do no harm to you or your village. They just want to be happy, want their brother to be happy," Marco explained, and said their age when it was asked.

Makino spoke, "Two teenagers are raising their brother?" Marco nodded. "Awww. I'm sure he'll make friends if he's nice. There's a daycare here, and a couple jobs open. If they're strong, there are plenty of physical labor jobs they could take."

Woop Slap lost his suspicion as Marco was clearly being sincere. "We have three houses empty that they can choose from. When will they be arriving?" he asked. His voice was still a bit snappy, but Marco assumed he was like that all of the time, since that was how he sounded when he was speaking to Makino as well.

"As soon as possible. Is it alright if we bring the ship over? We have some things to deliver with them," Marco asked politely. It wouldn't do to be disrespectful and seem like the boys were like that as well. Woop Slap nodded, and Marco left the bar to fly back to the ship.

He landed and said, "They welcomed us to come closer. And there are three homes to choose from." Ace, Sabo and Luffy all looked so excited, and Marco almost lost his neutral expression. The crew maneuvered the ships to the dock, which was empty besides some fishing boats, and put the ramp down.

Only the normal sized commanders were allowed down, while the rest stayed on the ship. Sabo was carrying Luffy, who was looking at the little town with a smile. Many of the villagers were there, maybe 200 of them altogether, much smaller than the crew and the population at Mary Geoise.

Sabo put Luffy down, and the three introduced themselves. Sabo and Ace bowed in thanks for them welcoming them despite coming off of a pirate crew. Luffy waved excitedly, looking at everything. "It's so small and cozy!" he said, and Sabo kept him from running off.

"Remember, we have to pick a home?" Ace reminded him. Luffy said, "oh yeah" and didn't run off. A short man with glasses and cane came forward. The three waited for him to speak. The Whitebeards were still on the ship, not wanting to intrude in their welcoming and introductions.

"My name's Woop Slap, they mayor. We won't tolerate any cause of mischief," he said. Sabo promised him they were just there to have Luffy grow up in a safe environment, and that, even if they were troublemakers, they'd never put his childhood in jeopardy. At this, most in the crowd relaxed. Many started introducing themselves, and Sabo told Luffy, very firmly, that nicknames weren't okay here.

Luffy pouted, not liking that, but nodded. Ace asked if they could see the houses, and a few of the villagers and the mayor led them away from the center of town and to the neighborhood with the most homes.

Ace and Sabo were both holding Luffy's hands, swinging him back and forth easily. The first house they came upon was two stories. It was yellow on the outside with white trims. Woop Slap pulled out a key and unlocked the door. The inside was modest. The kitchen counters were wooden, with older but clearly quality appliances. It had two bedrooms upstairs and a small alcove for an office downstairs.

Two bathrooms, though one was a half one without a bath or shower. Luffy hurried up the stairs to look around. All of the flooring was wooden, the walls a light blue. The rooms were spacious, and Luffy wanted one of them to be a play room with a fort just like the Whitebeards had made him.

Ace and Sabo looked at the downstairs, finding a nice closet space and a fenced in backyard with a porch. It was very nice, and they walked upstairs to see the nice bedrooms and the full bathroom that was nestled between the rooms. There was another hall closet. The windows throughout the house were a bit small, but let in a lot of light.

They really liked this one, but still wanted to see the others. They didn't ask for the price yet, not wanting it to deter them from the other two. The stairs were narrow, but they fit down them easily. They just had to go one by one up them.

"This is really nice, but can we see the other homes?" Sabo asked. Woop Slap nodded, and locked the front door behind them, and led them to the next house. This one was a bright blue, and was further from the other houses a bit.

They entered, and this one was much nicer. The floors were still wood, but the kitchen was larger, with stone countertops, like those at the Moby Dick. It had a lot of cupboard space, and the fridge was a nice size.

There was a small bar counter, which was nice. They found a similar layout of the living room like the other one, and it had two full bathrooms. One downstairs and one upstairs. There was closet space and a big fireplace. The other one had a very small one. They followed Luffy upstairs and found the bathroom up there had both a bathtub and a shower. The rooms were about the same size as the other house, only two of them.

There was also an office alcove down stairs at this one as well. The back yard did not have a covered patio, but had a large tree with a lot of space. It had a gate that could be opened to head out onto a grassy field. The windows were also nicer.

The three could all agree that this one was nicer than the other one. But there was one more to look at.

This one had a pink paint job and was one story. The inside was not as nice as the others, and was pretty cramped. There were three bedrooms, but they were each tiny, unable to fit multiple beds. One bathroom. They didn't like this one, and didn't explore it much.

After they looked in that one briefly, they exited, and asked the mayor how much the previous two cost. "The first was 50,000 berries, the second 76,000 berries," he said. Ace and Sabo blinked twice. That was incredibly cheap. They had over 800,000 berries of stolen money.

"Which one do you two like the most?" Sabo asked. Luffy and Ace both chose the second one. "Then we're all in agreement. We'll take the second," Sabo said with a grin, and Ace and Luffy were smiling brightly as well.

They headed back to the ship to tell everyone about it. Those who were allowed to go down from the ship went to their new house together, which they paid for immediately up front, and then put the money back on the ship. Luffy skipped there, and when they arrived, the pirates agreed that it seemed cozy and cute.

Thatch was very impressed with the kitchen, and the others thought it was a great first home, and the backyard was great for Luffy to play in. It was very empty without any furniture, so the boys would need to buy some. Woop Slap had followed them, concerned about yonko pirates being there, most likely.

Marco offered to make them some furniture from the shipwrights. Ace shook his head, "We want to go shopping, but thank you for the offer." Thatch and Haruta pouted.

"Can we at least help you carry the stuff here?" Izo questioned. Sabo nodded, and said that would definitely be helpful.

Other children had gathered around from their houses, and we're watching the pirates and new citizens in curiosity. Luffy waved at them with a huge smile, and they waved back. Luffy looked forward to making nice friends, and would never mention their old life ever again.

The larger pirates came down to help carry furniture while Luffy carried one of his toy backpacks and the others carried the rest. The citizens went back inside when the larger commanders came into view. They set up the home, which was cozy. The couch was wonderful, and they even got a recliner and some rugs.

Luffy asked if the other upstairs room could be for his toys. When he was told yes, he tossed all of his toys and blocks down carelessly, and then ran to the bedroom the three would share and jumped on the bed. "We have a little house!" he cheered. Thatch was setting up the kitchen for them.

They'd bought a safe for the money that was hidden in the crawl space above the second story hallway. Luffy was fine with climbing stairs, even if he had short legs, so they weren't worried. There were many stairs back at their old life and on the Moby Dick.

The time to say goodbye had finally approached when the group returned to the ship. Tears were shed by many of them, including Luffy. They hugged and thanked everyone, Luffy hugging Thatch who was holding him, crying. "I'll miss you, Loaf Head, but we'll talk a lot!" Thatch nodded, and put Luffy down.

Whitebeard hugged each of them. "If you ever run into trouble, call us. Take this, just for safety," he said, and handed them a flag of the jolly roger. "If you hang that in front of your home, people should not be stupid enough to approach. If this island were in the New World, I would put it under my protection, but that doesn't apply to the Blues or Paradise."

Sabo took it and folded it up. "Thank you for all you've done for us. We'll appreciate it for the rest of our lives. We'll see you in a couple years, then."

Izo scoffed. "You think we'll not visit you during your stay here?" he asked, sounding almost offended. Sabo and Ace grinned, and Luffy laughed happily, all of the tears gone.

"Well, then we look forward to your next visit," Sabo said. They left their temporary home and life, watching it sail away with the pirates waving, and calling goodbyes. They waved back until the ship was out of sight.

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**Don't worry, we'll have another awesome yonko soon enough ;)**


	10. The Second Yonko

**Withered _Eve: Thank you!**

**chickie434: You really didn't need to wait long at all! ;)**

**Trying_To_Be_Happy: <3 <3 <3**

**Smaster7241: I don't know yet. I haven't edited it. And I'm cruel to myself because I am writing another one and I literally watched the show twice in a row so I could follow the plot better. dedication lol. I don't know when it will posted but probably not very soon.**

**kaktusen: Thank you!**

**Nekokratik: Aw, thank you! I just wish everyone finished their works before posting.**

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**I took a new type of sleeping pill the other night and gave me such terrible side effects I couldn't write all day! It was terrible! But now I'm back, which makes me happy. Meeting a fan favorite in this chapter! Enjoy~**

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They turned around, and saw the many villagers watching them. "Welcome to Windmill Village," Makino said. Many of the children from before went up to introduce themselves to Luffy. They were all smiling, and Luffy was talking about the pirates when they asked. Luffy still referred to them as their nicknames, and would for a while.

They had a tour of the town by the kind woman, Makino, who owned the only bar in town. It really was small. There were some clothing shops, one that was like some sort of small department store. In the busy part with the most shops, there were supply ones that sold wood and tools. The grocery store was quaint, and everything was quite cheap. Compared to prices in Paradise, everything here was exponentially cheaper. There was a book store, much to Sabo's joy, and the daycare had many toys and a jungle gym in the back once Luffy was introduced to it. He was excited to play with the little kids his own age.

The three were content, but Sabo and Ace didn't wait long to ask for work. They spoke to Woop Slap, and explained that they were both literate and educated, but were mostly talented for labor. "We're pretty strong, I think physical labor would be fine for us, if there are any positions open. We'll do whatever job is available," Sabo explained. "Oh, and Ace can be the village's fire fighter."

"What's that mean?" Woop Slap in his harsh voice. Luffy was running around the lobby of the mayor's building. Ace explained about his devil fruit, and how he could put out fires. "And it's in control?"

"Yes, it is. And even if it wasn't, I can just suck the flames back up. But yes, I won't be causing any fires. I swear," Ace said honestly. "I'm in control of it, the Whitebeards helped me learn." At that, Woop Slap seemed to believe him more. "So, are there any jobs open?"

The mayor went to the desk and pulled out a packet of papers. He flipped through it, looking at open and closed jobs. "Makino would like a second worker, some are looking for workers to help on their farms, and a plumber." Both knew they did not want to be a plumber. But it was lucky there was more than one job available.

Ace offered to take the farming job, since the heat of the sun couldn't affect him. Sabo offered to help Makino out. "You'll have to go to those who are asking for the help directly." Sabo and Ace nodded, and got a map of the village and there were x's drawn on it showing where the job listings were.

The bar was closer to where they were at the moment, and they got Luffy's attention away from the fishbowl, and they left, bowing in thanks for Woop Slap's help. Luffy held both of his brothers' hands. "I can't wait to play with the other kids!" Luffy gushed. "And did you see the playroom? It was so big! And a jungle gym, too!"

Ace and Sabo grinned at his enthusiasm. They missed the pirates already, but they didn't regret their choice at all, and Luffy didn't seem to either. Maybe it was because they would stay in touch. When they arrived at the bar, there were a small number of men inside and Makino working behind the counter.

"Hello," she said pleasantly. The three greeted her, barely glancing at the customers who looked at them for a moment before going back to their conversations. "Can I help you?" Sabo nodded, and asked her if she was still looking for an assistant. "I am. Are you wanting to apply?" When Sabo nodded again, he asked what kind of tasks he would be given. "Hauling imports of alcohol back here and some cleaning. Help behind the bar would be appreciated when it's busy. Cleaning as well, though I help with that and it's mostly just wiping down tables. So nothing too hard."

Sabo didn't ask about the pay, since their money would last a while and they had bought the house, not rented it. All they needed to buy was groceries and basic necessities. "I'll be happy to help you out with those things. I am curious as to why you're hiring me when I just arrived." Not that he wasn't thankful for that, but just a bit surprised.

"If your brother is this happy and innocent, I can't see you being bad people, even if you came off of a pirate ship," Makino replied. Luffy climbed onto the stool at the bar counter and asked if she had any juice he could have. "Luffy, not now."

"No, it's perfectly fine. I do have juice. Would you like apple or orange?" Makno asked kindly. She seemed like a good person and would be a good boss. Luffy exclaimed he wanted apple juice, a bit loudly. Ace reminded him he needed to use his indoor voice and that there wasn't a lot of noise around like on the ship.

Luffy gasped and covered his mouth before apologizing, still a bit loudly. Well, he'd get used to it, and no one in the bar seemed too upset, including the owner. Makino gave him his cup of juice, and he thanked her before chugging it in one gulp. "Yummy," he said.

Sabo asked if he needed to wear a uniform, but he didn't. "You can start working as soon as you wish. I'm happy for you to take some time to get used to living here. I'm not in desperate need, after all." The brothers thanked her and left. They were heading to the place Ace would be working at. It would be strange being separated, but normal people have jobs, and can't spend all their time with their friends and family. It was part of life, to work and be separated. They'd get used to it, and Luffy had a safe place to stay when they were working.

The place was across town, but it wasn't exactly a huge town. Most of the houses were close together, but the farms were spread apart, since there were fields of wheat, fruits and orchards. They followed the map until they reached a house closest to one of the windmills.

Ace knocked on the door, and Luffy was hanging off of Sabo's back, a little tired. A woman with bushy hair came out, wearing a blue dress. "Can I help you, boys?" she asked pleasantly.

The freckled teen nodded, and asked, "You were looking for someone to help on your farm, right?" he asked. He had been wearing a shirt this time so he didn't make any bad first impressions. She nodded, and Ace offered that he would take the job.

She looked surprised, probably because they arrived that day and were already looking for jobs. "It requires a lot of physical labor and being under the sun. Plus, not all fields are harvested at the same time. I'm sure you could get another job on a farm where it's harvest time."

Ace replied that he was strong, and the sun wouldn't hurt him. She asked why, and he explained that his devil fruit keeps him from getting hot. "A devil fruit, huh? We don't hear much about those around here. Can I ask what it is?"

"I'm a fire logia. But I'm in control of it and can actually help if things catch on fire," Ace explained. She seemed a bit hesitant, but he was being completely honest and truthful.

She said, "Alright, you're hired if you promise not to set the fields on fire." Ace laughed and said he swore he wouldn't.

The three headed back to their new home in good moods, Luffy sleeping in Sabo's arms, thumb in his mouth. They pulled out the key and opened the door, smiling in content. They tucked Luffy in their double beds they pushed together. To make them feel like it was one bed, there was a sheet of foam stretching across the whole thing under the sheets so the crease was less noticeable. They didn't have a second thought about sharing the room. At least for now, while Luffy was still small.

They set up the books they'd been given, and the lamps in each room that didn't have ceiling lights. They stuck some of Luffy's drawings to the fridge. It was full of food that Thatch had bought while they were buying furniture, so they were fully stocked.

For decoration, they put the maps they stole on the walls, and they looked really nice. It felt so homey and cozy, and both of them sat on the couch, putting their feet on the coffee table. "We're finally here. We did it, Sabo," Ace said in a quiet voice. Sabo nodded, and put his arm around Ace, who had tears in his eyes. "When we set out, I didn't know if we were actually going to make it. I had doubts, but we are sure lucky to have stolen their boat, and they brought us here. To the safest sea."

"We can't ever repay their kindness, but at least Luffy seemed to make the trip worth it. So much has happened in just a couple months. I'm so happy," Sabo said, though he didn't have any tears. "And now we can raise Luffy in a happy home. And clearly no one knows who we are, and that newspaper doesn't reach here."

"Yeah, but you know they'll give up on finding us soon. Not that I'm surprised or disappointed. Our missing posters will fade away and everyone will forget about them," Ace replied, the tears gone now that the subject had changed a bit.

Sabo nodded, agreeing. Well, they didn't need their biological family to care for tham. The brothers couldn't give a shit about them, not caring if they lived or died. It wasn't their problem - and it never had been - anymore. They were free, and that's all that mattered.

-x-

"Bye, Luffy! I'll see ya tomorrow!" Bonney called. Luffy waved goodbye, his tiny backpack on as Ace and Sabo walked him home. It was near dinner time, since they ate early, so they were picking Luffy up to go home. Luffy had made some friends quickly. Bonney, Kid and Killer. Kid and Killer were best friends, but Bonney was Luffy's favorite. She liked to eat like he did, but they got in trouble because they ate all of the snacks and it upset the other kids. Luffy didn't have a best friend, but he had his brothers. They were his best friends.

When they got home, the first thing Luffy did was put his backpack on its hook and then went to the Whitebeard den den mushi. He called, and Thatch picked up. "Hey, Luffy!" he said cheerily.

"Guess what, Thatch? I learned how to play a card game and won!" Luffy exclaimed, and talked all about his day. Ace and Sabo told him about their days, how work had been. They talked every few days, and the Whitebeards were perfectly fine with that. On the dot, Luffy would call when he got home at 5:15.

"Also, and also, Ace learned to cook berry pancakes from the fresh berries from the market. It's yummy. And Sabo learned how to make spicy apple cider from Makino," Luffy babbled as Ace stretched himself out after the physical labor and how his back got a bit stiff from bending over and harvesting the plants.

Someone else had joined in his job and they hung out a lot together, his name was Deuce. Ace made his first real friend, besides the Whitebeards. Sabo was cooking that night, as the two oldest took turns making meals. Thatch's cookbook was a life saver, to be honest.

Luffy and Thatch talked for a while before dinner was ready, and he said goodbye. "Have a good day tomorrow, Luffy," and the den den disconnected. The three ate the curry in the living room on the carpet, rarely eating at the dining table.

Life there was comfortable and peaceful. Better than they could have imagined. At the daycare, Luffy made friends and got to play with so many toys and other little boys and girls like him. He told them stories of his time with the Whitebeards, though his nicknames were a little confusing for them.

There had been only one pirate ship that visited, and it just came to restock before it left. The bar was open later in the day, so Sabo had gotten a second job to keep busy while Ace worked and Luffy was at daycare. It was being an assistant manager at the grocery store. There were six employees in all, and he'd started out as lower, but his help with the owner's paperwork and when he was out of work due to back problems, Sabo crunched numbers for him. After he did that for a while unofficially, he was awarded with a promotion and was now assistant manager for the first half of the day until the bar opened.

Life was completely normal there, and no one knew about the missing posters. But Thatch had told him that in the last four months, they weren't in the papers anymore. It had been seven months since they defected, so they were mostly forgotten about. They really didn't care.

When Sabo went to work the next day, after his job at the grocery store and was headed to the bar, he found a huge pirate ship at the dock. Well, nothing compared to the Moby Dick, but pretty large compared to the one that had visited before. He worried if they were bad pirates.

But he was surprised to see it was Red Hair Shanks, another yonko like Whitebeard. Of course, he was much smaller than Banana Giant. Sabo wondered why he was there, if he wanted to cause trouble. He increased his pace to the bar and entered to see it was quite loud inside. Sabo headed straight to Makino. "Is everything okay?" he asked.

Makino nodded. "They've been visiting us periodically for many years, so no one worries about them. They're good pirates, like the Whitebeards." The villagers had all been told or heard the stories about the yonko crew they arrived with. And it made the villagers unafraid of them by hearing of their kindness. Which would help whenever they decided to visit.

Sabo got to his first task, which was refilling the keg from the crates. It seemed like these pirates drank _a lot._ They were going to clear them out and there wasn't another shipment for a while. While he was cleaning around the pirates, the captain asked if he was Sabo.

"Yeah," Sabo said unprofessionally. Usually the people who came were familiar, so he didn't have to call them sir or ma'am. He knew most of them by name now. More so than Ace did since he didn't interact with the people besides the individuals he worked for and Deuce.

"I hear you and your brothers came on old man Whitebeard's ship," Shanks said in interest. Sabo nodded, saying it was true. Then he looked at Sabo closely, and Sabo started to sweat. He was from the New World, he may have seen the missing posters. Sabo froze at the look or recognition before he smiled, and said nothing.

After all, the three didn't cause any trouble for those who lived there. "I also heard there was a four year old on that ship. It surprised me! Whitebeards, with a four year old?! Bahahaha!" Sabo told him that they wanted the three to stay indefinitely, but they instead followed their wishes and brought them here.

"They dealt very well with Luffy's stupid nicknames," Sabo said in good humor. Shanks after for a few of them, curious. He seemed like a nice person, so he told him. "Banana Giant, Pineapple, Loaf Head, Fairy, Bird Feet, Grumpy, Clefty, Watermelon Hat, Ball Head, Cow, Man Lady… I can't really remember the rest."

The pirates burst into laughter. "I take it Whitebeard was Banana Giant?" Ben Beckman asked. Sabo confirmed, and Shanks burst into laughter again.

"That'll be his new nickname! 'Banana Giant'!" and he continued to laugh. Sabo smiled and then got back to work.

Ace ended up getting off work early since it had started pouring rain, and went to pick up Luffy and go meet Sabo and Makino with a big umbrella. Luffy pointed out the pirate ship before Ace could, even though he saw it first. "A pirate ship!" Luffy exclaimed.

"Yes, but what do we make sure to do with pirates?" Ace asked.

"Not make them mad," Luffy responded immediately. Ace ruffled his hair, calling him a smart boy. Luffy giggled at that. When they arrived at the bar, they saw the pirates were inside, not that it was exactly surprising. And though the bar was usually fairly quiet, now it wasn't. The pirates were noisy as hell. Sabo was cleaning the empty table and sweeping, getting refills for pirates who asked. He seemed very calm, so Ace didn't worry that these pirates would suddenly attack.

"Hello Ace and Luffy," Makino said pleasantly. Ace sat Luffy on his usual bar stool. Sitting in the space between his brother and the pirate, Red Hair Shanks. What were the odds of meeting two yonko in just the span of a few months?

Luffy asked for juice, which Makino was happy to do, and drank it through a straw. "Are you two Ace and Luffy?" Ace nodded, looking at him in suspicion. He was a pirate from the Grand Line, surely he'd seen their posters. But Makino didn't seem like she'd been told such a big thing as her friends being the worst kind of people alive. "What was it like on Whitebeard's ship? Living there?"

Luffy asked what he was talking about. "Banana Giant's real name is Whitebeard, remember?" Ace asked patiently. "Oh, yeah. I forget." Shanks laughed and Luffy drank more of his juice.

Before Ace could reply, he saw smoke outside the bar door, and it was coming inside the room. Sabo shouted Ace's name, and he sprinted out of the bar and to the fire the smoke was coming from. People were trying to hose it down with water. It was one of the windmills. Ace ran through the field, shoving people out of his way. The fire was spreading, and he thrust his hands into the worst of it, and sucked it back, snuffing it out, though it made his body flicker for a moment, as he took deep breaths.

There was no way to clear out the smoke, and he coughed in it, being so close. He ran back down, and saw everyone in a crowd. He coughed again, and Sabo handed him a rag he put in front of his mouth.

The crowd of people cheered and thanked Ace. It was the first fire that had happened since the brothers arrived, so Ace hadn't been able to show how helpful he could be. It could have been much worse and jump to another house. Spread across the crop and into one of his employer's ranch.

Ace hadn't used his powers much for anything practical besides lighting the fire in their fireplace at home. He still practiced attacks, but only on his days off and at the beach. Sabo would exercise and Luffy spent the time making sand castles. Finally, some sand that he could use!

Ace asked for some water, and a woman ran to her nearby home and then brought back a bottle of water that he drank in one go. Being so close into the smoke had sucked, and his eyes still burned. He may be immune and made of fire, but smoke wasn't fire, it was a byproduct of it.

"You're so cool, Ace!" Luffy cheered from beside Sabo's leg. Ace smiled and thanked him, though his voice was scratchy. Shanks and his crew were standing back, and watching with impressed eyes. Shanks' eyebrows were raised in surprise.

Ace complained, "Man, I wish I had Marco's power." And he coughed again. Luffy was concerned and hugged Ace's leg, asking if he was okay. "I'm fine, my throat just hurts a little. It'll go away, don't worry. Besides, I had to, right? That fire could have spread everywhere!"

"Oh no!"

Ace smiled. "That's why I had to do it, right? Now the fire can't spread." Luffy nodded in relief. A bunch of children were around now, and they flocked to Ace, not knowing he was a devil fruit user. Not even knowing what devil fruits were. Ace wasn't good with kids besides Luffy, so he was a bit uncomfortable.

Luffy got their attention, and told them all about Marco's and Jozu's powers. "He can turn into a flaming bird, and can heal from anything! He can even fly. And then the other one can make himself into diamond, so sparkly and pretty. And guess what? The captain Banana Giant can make big earthquakes!"

"Wow! I want a devil fruit!"

"Me, too! Mom, let's get a devil fruit!"

The youngest of the group started crying about wanting to be magic as well. Luffy warned them that there were super stupid ones, too.

Then the kids started having second thoughts, really not wanting a useless and stupid one. Luffy told them all about the jacket one, and turning into butter or turning into tiny floating balls. "Did you know that a bad man tried to ki-"

"Luffy, let's not talk about that one," Sabo said pointedly. Luffy blinked and then nodded, understanding why. The kids were curious, but their parents each collected them for the night, even if it was earlier than usual. Sabo and Luffy went back to the bar while Ace went home, not wanting to talk since his throat was sore. He'd drink some tea and not do anything strenuous. At least he had a day off tomorrow and didn't need to work.

He walked home, looking up at the flapping flag above the entrance of their home, and then headed inside to rest. He was glad he was able to use his otherwise destructive powers to help the villagers. Maybe now they'd fully realize he had control over his powers, and wouldn't need to be told to be careful every day.

Though he understood why they said it, it was still annoying. Hopefully that would change now.

Luffy was on Sabo's shoulders when they went back to the bar, following Makino with the pirates following after. They really had nowhere near the amount of members than the Whitebeards. Though it was to be expected. Whitebeard had a massive crew and ship, and had also been a pirate a lot longer than Shanks, just based on their ages.

The youngest would no doubt talk about Ace's stunt next time they talked. When they got to the bar, Sabo put Luffy at the counter, and got back to work. Smoke was inside, so he did his best to fan it out, Makino doing the same. Shanks sat next to Luffy, who looked at him with wide eyes. "Who are you?" Like he just now noticed the man existed.

"My name is Shanks. I'm a yonko like Banana Giant," he said with a stifled laugh. "Your brother sure is strong, especially in the East Blue," the pirate commented.

Luffy gratefully accepted the juice from Makino, and said, "We came from Paradise, not here. Ace and Sabo are always been strong." He didn't mention anything about Mary Geoise. Or give any hint about it.

"And then Whit- Banana Giant brought you here, right?" Luffy nodded. "What was it like living with them?" he asked again, since they'd been interrupted before.

Luffy began an explanation that had some very long run-on sentences about his time on the ship. "And a bad man, a very bad man! Piano Mouth, tried to kill Loaf Head! For a devil fruit! He wanted it cause Loaf Head found it but I didn't mean to and dropped it over the side of the ship. The bad man went on a swim somewhere, I don't know where."

Shanks was clearly confused by the nicknames, and asked for some descriptions of those people. "Loaf Head has bread hair on his head. And a scar on his face. He's the cook and makes yummy food. Piano Mouth had bad teeth, and fluffy black hair. He was fat and hairy and had lots of chest hair. He smelled bad, but I never said anything cause I didn't want to be mean. But he was a bad guy."

"Oh! Commander Thatch and Teach, right?"

"Who are they?"

"Uh, nevermind," Shanks said in amusement. "So, you want to be a pirate, too?" he asked curiously.

Luffy nodded, but then was conflicted. "I'm confacted cause I want to get back to the Whitebeards, but I also wanna be the pirate king and find the one piece before anyone else! But I can't be the pirate king on Whitebeard's ship. So I don't know. And I want to stay with Ace and Sabo," Luffy explained. Shanks understood what "confacted" was supposed to be.

"Oh? You want to be the pirate king?" Shanks asked in interest. Luffy nodded. "You'd have to be pretty strong to do that."

"I'll be really strong when I'm bigger," Luffy countered, taking another long sip of his drink. Shanks chuckled.

Sabo brought Luffy home near bed time as Makino had made him dinner there, and Makino understood that he needed to leave early that night since Ace wasn't there to take him back. Luffy was tired, and sleeping when they left, carried by Sabo.

When they got back home, Ace was asleep on the couch, and Sabo took Luffy up to the bedroom to tuck him in after helping him change into his pajamas. He then went to check on Ace and see how he was doing.

"Ace? How are you feeling?"

He woke up and coughed. "Throat hurts, but I'll be better soon. Freaking hungry though. What should I eat?" he asked. Sabo stood up and turned the lamp on the table on since it had gotten dark outside and Ace wasn't sleeping anymore.

Sabo offered to make him a couple smoothies. They had frozen fruit and yogurt. Ace accepted this, thinking the cool liquid would soothe his throat. "You're the hero now, Ace," Sabo commented as Ace sat at the bar counter. "That was a really helpful thing you did."

Ace said, "Of course I'd do it. The owners were my friends and employers, and the fire could have spread if I hadn't. I'm just glad we noticed early, before it spread." Sabo nodded in agreement, and the blender made a lot of noise, though Luffy was deeply asleep and couldn't be woken up by the sound of something from downstairs in the kitchen.

Sabo gave him the two large glasses of fruit smoothies with all of Ace's favorites. Sabo made himself a grilled cheese sandwich, which was one of the easiest meals to make. They sat at the table that night and ate/drank.


	11. Shanks and Luffy

**Lot's of Shanks and Luffy fluff in this chapter. Enjoy~**

* * *

Luffy became attached to Shanks at the hip quite quickly. Especially once he started telling Luffy about his old captain, the _pirate king!_ He told him more stories than Banana Giant did. So, every night after Ace got off, he brought Luffy to see his new friend. Makino made him dinner or he and Ace picked it up on the way to the bar.

Ace had started to dislike picking Luffy up because the other children flocked him, asking to see his powers. Ace always said he couldn't because it was dangerous, which was a half truth. He could use them without endangering anyone, but he didn't want to turn any little kids into pyromaniacs. They were always disappointed, but Ace didn't cave.

Shanks was there at Luffy's surprise birthday party at the Party Bar. He was shocked, had already had cookies at the daycare for his birthday. But there was a huge chocolate cake waiting for him. The presents were all on the bar counter, waiting for him to unwrap. He happily did so, finding new books, coloring books and crayons, and a nightlight that had been home made by one of their closest neighbors.

What was the most surprising present was one that was in a weathered cardboard box. When he opened it, he found a shirt just his size, and turned it around to see it had the Whitebeard's jolly roger on the back. There was a note that Sabo read for him. "'Every family member has the mark. Happy birthday'." There were some cookies that Thatch made that were in sealed baggies so they didn't go bad.

Shanks smiled at this, and Sabo had a feeling he was seeing the yonko a bit differently now. Especially after all of Luffy's stories, and how many times he called the fearless captain "Banana Giant".

When everyone was enjoying their cake and the meal Makino had made, Luffy found another bag on the table lower than the bar counter. He peeked his head it and found a chest, and opened it, thinking it was another present. He saw a devil fruit, and thought it was being given to him. He had wanted a devil fruit, how did they know?! He could be cool like Ace. He remembered that Thatch had told him about the stupid powers other people had. So it couldn't be this one!

He took a huge bite out of it and ate all of it but the stem. It was nasty, but Ace had made a grossed out face when he ate his, so he was expecting it. "Thank you!" he shouted, and held up the stem of the fruit.

For some reason Shanks grew angry. "Luffy! Did you eat the devil fruit in that?!" Luffy looked afraid, not liking being yelled at. But he nodded, and said he thought it was another present. Sabo and Ace were not as upset as Shanks seemed to be, and glared at him for yelling at Luffy. It was an honest mistake. "That was the gum-gum fruit! It turns you into a rubber human! Now you won't be able to swim."

"I know," Luffy said simply. "But can I bounce like a ball now?!" He was perfectly fine with it.

Ace turned to Shanks. "Did you forget I'm a devil fruit user, and he's met three others? It was an accident, and we can pay you back in compensation," he said in slight disapproval. Shanks looked surprised, and just remembered they knew what devil fruits were.

Shanks ran his hand through his hair. "I'm sorry I yelled, Luffy. I didn't mean to scare you. Sometimes it's hard to remember you guys are from the Grand Line, so you know all of this stuff. You don't need to pay us back, we weren't going to eat it."

"I forgive you," Luffy said, and climbed back onto his seat and color in a new coloring book with a set of crayons he'd gotten. Ace was still miffed with Shanks' reaction, while Sabo cleaned up all of the wrapping paper and put it in the trash bin.

Luffy grew tired and Ace and Sabo packed up the presents, and thanked Makino and Shanks, and headed back home. In Ace's arms, Luffy's leg stretched and sagged until it was dragging on the ground before it snapped back in place. "Well, we're going to have some interesting times ahead of us, won't we?" Ace asked quietly. When it started to stretch again, Sabo held it up.

"Indeed," the blonde said simply. "We should start training him soon on how to use it. Unlike yours, it's not inherently dangerous. Being rubber can't burn a house down or kill someone, y'know?"

Ace agreed, that they should get on it quickly like they had for Ace. But now he couldn't swim either. Though, he'd eaten the devil fruit knowing what it was, so not swimming was obviously not a big deal if he chomped that fruit down in a moment.

It was a break day for Ace the next day, and of course the first half of the day for Sabo. They went to their training beach, and helped Luffy deal with his fruit. Since Ace was a logia, and not a paramecia, it was a bit difficult for him to help in any way. Then Sabo pointed out that they knew two paramecia fruit users. And Luffy wanted to talk to them anyways. So they headed back home, Luffy having some trouble with his arms, but able to walk fairly well.

Ace and Sabo were impressed that he wasn't totally upset about having troubles. He had been expecting it, and they were impressed by the maturity and forward thinking about the devil fruit. Ace kissed his head and Luffy looked up with a toothy grin.

When they called the Whitebeards, Luffy was excited to talk to them, tell them about his fruit, his cool new powers! It would be hard to get used to, he could already tell, but he looked forward to being super cool. When the den den picked up, it was Haruta. "Happy birthday, Luffy!" foot thuds were heard and they knew people were surrounding the snail. Choruses of "happy birthday" were in the background.

"Thank you for the shirt! I like it! And guess what? So, there was a bag on the counter and a box in the bag and I thought it was another present so I ate it and now I'm rubber!" there was silence on the other end, and Sabo summed it up, "Luffy ate a devil fruit and now he's made of rubber."

Ace added, "Can Jozu or Whitebeard give him any tips? I'm a logia, so I don't know how to help him with this."

Haruta said he'd go find them, while Thatch asked him how his day was. "I had lots of presents and cake and cookies! But Shanks got mad at me for eating the fruit, he yelled at me," Luffy said sadly.

"That jerk! How dare he yell at Luffy?!" Thatch raged.

"Shanks isn't a jerk, he did something mean, though," Luffy replied. There was a chuckle on the other end, and Thatch apologized for insulting Shanks. "He's my friend. Don't say mean things, but I forgive you. The cookies were tasty."

"I'm glad, I worried they would go stale. I'm just surprised the package actually made it to you across the Grand Line. We're in the New World now," Thatch replied. Ace carried the den den to the coffee table so they could sit on the couch. He and Thatch talked for a while before foot thuds came and more people had now arrived.

"Gurararara, I hear you ate a devil fruit?" Whitebeard asked. Luffy exclaimed "Banana Giant!" "Hello, Luffy. How was your birthday? Did you get the shirt?"

Luffy replied that he did, and repeated how his day went how he told Thatch. Whitebeard said he was glad Luffy had had a good birthday. "I'm afraid I can't help you much with how to use your devil fruit. Jozu can't either. All paramecias are different. Unlike a zoan or logia, which are similar in how they work. I'm sorry to say you'll have to figure out how to use it yourself."

"Okay," Luffy said simply, surprising everyone, including his brothers. "I can't be the pirate king if I can't learn it by myself, right?"

You could practically hear the pout in Thatch's voice. "You still want to become the next pirate king?"

"Yeah, but I was thinking! I want to be both, but I can't be both. So I want to be on the crew and then some time, when I'm super strong, I'll find my _own_ crew and _then_ I'll go to be the pirate king! And you can be my allies, too," Luffy explained. Thatch's voice brightened up immediately.

He declared, "We'll make you super strong, Luffy! And then you'll have to tell us what the one piece is first, when you find it." Luffy agreed and nodded, the den den doing the same on the other end.

Luffy's eyes started to droop a bit, and Sabo said, "Alright, bed time."

"But I want to color!" Luffy whined. Ace pointed out that he could color as much as he wanted when he woke up. Luffy sighed, and dramatically said, "Fine. I'll go to sleep." Ace chuckled, and Luffy said goodnight to the Whitebeards. There was a chorus of "good night"s and "sweet dream"s.

Ace put Luffy to bed, and he insisted he wear the Whitebeard shirt to bed, so he did. Ace left the room, his new night light lighting up the room enough for him to see if he got up, since the curtains were closed. They still shared the bed, but were starting to think of giving Luffy his own room, changing his playroom into a second bedroom.

Ace and Sabo would share their room with separate mattresses, but they wanted to help Luffy become more independent. No matter how much they wanted to baby him, carry him, go to bed with him, they also knew coddling him for life wasn't exactly a good thing to do. After all, it was them _raising_ him. They had to do a good job.

Sabo was still talking to the Whitebeards when Ace walked back down the stairs. Sabo was just saying goodnight, and that they'd keep them updated on any progress with the gum-gum fruit. Sabo hung up and then stored the den den in the cupboard, putting the small lock on the handles.

Keeping it hidden was just to be safe since they were screwed if it was stolen by someone. Though why anyone would steal a yonko's den den, they didn't know. People could be stupid, though. "I think we should start talking about moving Luffy to the other room. He's five now, y'know?" Ace said quietly, sitting in the lounge chair.

Sabo frowned. Part of him wished Luffy would never grow up, would stay their baby to protect all the time, but he _would_ grow up and they would do it right. It was up to them, a very important job. And you can't hold or coddle a kid for forever. They didn't know when they started being left on their own, but they'd seen other celestial dragon kids be raised while babied completely.

And while they would be assholes regardless, even when one turned nine and ten, they wouldn't leave their parents, hanging on and sticking to them like glue. The best start to slowly transition him to a more independent standing was for them both to get jobs and him to go to daycare to be separated.

"I'll miss sleeping with him, though," Sabo grumbled. Ace chuckled, and said he would, too.

"But, we're somewhere safe now. And we had our own rooms before. I think we just got used to it while on the Moby, and then it didn't end when we landed here. I think we should really start changing things soon," Ace said sincerely. "He'll still live here with us, we'll still love him as our baby brother, but we don't want to make him so dependent he can't do anything else by himself, right?" Sabo grudgingly agreed.

Ace yawned. "I'm gonna go to bed, too. You coming?"

Sabo shook his head. "I'm gonna have some tea first." Ace nodded, and said goodnight. He changed his shorts into pajama pants, and crawled in next to Luffy. He was still so young… maybe it _was_ too soon to change things. Or maybe they could very slowly ease into it. Have one of them sleep with him and the other on the couch. They would take turns during the nights.

They didn't share the bed because Ace and Sabo wanted to sleep together, it was because of Lu. So if they weaned him off, that would be better than just dumping him in the other bedroom. Sabo would be happy with that option. Luffy, of course, didn't wake up when Ace got in bed, and didn't when Sabo got in later.

-x-

"Eh!" Luffy said weakly as he tried stretching his arm out. It was like he was learning how to fish again. It had been a week since he'd eaten the fruit. His friends thought the power was useless, and mostly thought it was funny to stretch his face out. It hurt his feelings a bit, but he agreed that it was useless at the moment.

Shanks was with him, trying to help him learn, and he was growing frustrated very quickly. Makino brought him cold drinks when he was attempting to function normally again. He would learn to train new skills _after_ he could control his droopy arms or legs. While others laughed at his problem, his brothers and Shanks didn't.

But, he was definitely having trouble with it. He was at the beach with his yonko friend, their training beach, and he was doing his best to guide and be patient with Luffy. While he couldn't do much to help him physically, he was encouraging when the boy got upset or embarrassed. So, he was basically moral support. Ace and Sabo were at work, and Shanks was watching him instead of the daycare. Luffy wanted to get better at his fruit before he saw his friends again, so they didn't make fun of him. That had really hurt his feelings, even if he had not shown it at the time.

He looked down sadly. "What's wrong?" Shanks asked, walking over. His crew were at the bar. Luffy wasn't close to anyone but Shanks, and he was embarrassed and so didn't need more eyes on him.

"Just thinking cause my friends made fun of me for this," Luffy explained. "It hurt my feelings but I didn't say anything about it." Shanks gave him an empathetic smile.

"Well, just wait until you get super strong, then they will eat their words, figuratively speaking," Shanks said encouragingly. Luffy nodded, and got back to work. After another half hour of very little progress, Luffy sat down on the sand in a ball and looked at the horizon.

"I can't cry, I'm going to be the pirate king."

Shanks said, "You think Roger never cried? All men cry, Luffy, whether it's in public or private, all men do it. There's nothing to be ashamed of to show emotion. Maybe if you started throwing a tantrum, it might be a bit much, but just being sad and crying is human nature." He sat down next to Luffy, also looking at the horizon. "I cried, when my captain was executed. It might be for a different reason, but I still cried and am not ashamed of it."

Luffy sniffled before he began to cry. Shanks rubbed his back. "I want to be stronger, not weak because of this," Luffy said through his crying. It wasn't wailing like he might have done only a few months ago, but it was still loud and full of sniffles.

"Well, I don't think crying is weak. People cry for all sorts of reasons, right? But you do need to be strong to be the pirate king. And you plan to get stronger with Banana Giant and then become the pirate king?" Shanks asked. Luffy had told him that the day after he decided. He nodded. "Well then, I leave this to you," he said, and put his straw hat on Luffy's head. "It's my treasure, but I trust in your resolve to become the king of the seas. It's really important to me, so you have to give it back when you've fulfilled your goal, okay?"

Luffy was in shock, holding the hat that he knew was Shanks' treasure. He gave him a grin, and Luffy wiped his eyes and nose before standing up, plopping the hat down on his head and getting back to work. It was the perfect motivation. Shanks trusted him to be strong, so he would be!

Even if the hat didn't fit, and fell over his eyes, he would wear it and take care of it until he became the pirate king, and then return it to the rightful owner. Makino made him a string for it so it didn't fall off. It was really crazy for Shanks to trust a five year old with his treasure. It meant he really thought Luffy could do it, putting his trust in him now, even while he was so young.

Every day, Ace would come to the beach and pick Luffy up from a day of training with Shanks. Ace would bring him a bottle of wine in thanks, since he didn't always go back to the bar. They had enough money to buy wine, and it was a thank you for both him "training" Luffy and for giving him motivation with the hat. And he didn't let anyone touch his precious gift, not even Ace and Sabo.

Even in the rain, Luffy focused on practicing. And since the rain continued to fall, Deuce and Ace got back to working through it. It didn't make Ace cold, but it did irritate him with the hair, so he started pulling it back in a short ponytail while working. Sabo told him he needed a haircut, but so did Luffy.

Ace walked to Luffy and Shanks with an umbrella. "Ready to go home, Lu?" Luffy looked conflicted. "You're tired, right?" the boy nodded, but looked uncertain.

"You can't become the pirate king if you don't take care of your own body, Luffy," Shanks said simply, and Luffy hurried to Ace, under the umbrella and taking his warm hand.

"See you tomorrow, Shanks!" Luffy called. Shanks smiled and waved back. Ace was truly thankful for Shanks' presence in this. While Luffy's friends found his inability to move normally funny, it wasn't to Luffy. Ace told him his friends did not mean to be cruel, even if it felt like that. But Luffy didn't want to see them again until he could do things normally again.

But Shanks was there to help him. Ace thought it was funny when the Whitebeards would grow angry at Shanks' constant presence with him. It became a competition that everyone noticed besides the subject. And when they found out about Shanks giving Luffy his hat in encouragement, well, Ace had to hang up the line when they grew angry.

When they got home, Ace got to cooking dinner, which was a salmon dish. He still had his hair in the ponytail, since it was comfortable. "Ace looks silly in a ponytail," Luffy commented from the table. Ace shot him a smile.

"Luffy looks silly wearing a hat that doesn't fit him," he countered. Luffy gasped, mouth wide at the insult. "I'm just joking, Lu," he assured his baby brother. Luffy nodded, and let it drop. Sabo should be back later that night, so they would leave his left overs in the fridge. The two ate in the living room, like usual. The fireplace was lit, radiating warmth through the house. It was still raining outside, and it was cozy.

Ace was sitting against the couch on the floor while Luffy was on the couch behind him. Ace was reading him fairy tales from a thick book Sabo had bought. It was the only copy in the store, so he thought it was a steal.

Sabo came back later, only it was a lot later, and he looked tired. "Don't ask," he said, and dried off before going straight to bed, looking exhausted. Ace hoped he wasn't sick.


	12. A Dangerous Encounter

**New characters in this chapter! Overprotective Sabo strikes again. Enjoy~**

* * *

Sabo was walking home in the rain under an umbrella when he passed the bay. But then he saw a small boat coming in. Two people were in it, one lightly injured but bloody, and another one who was a child, older than Luffy, but still a child. The adult, who was injured, pulled himself out of the boat and picked up the boy, who had a white, dotted hat. It was dirty and matted.

"Excuse me? Do you need some help?" Sabo asked politely. But when the adult collapsed, Sabo dropped the umbrella and put the man over his shoulder, which was weird since he was taller than Sabo, and ran to the small clinic. He kicked open the door. "Betty! This guy is injured, he showed up at the harbor in a boat!" he called. The doctor rushed out and Sabo laid the man on the hospital bed. He was shooed out, even though he was concerned for the man. The child was sniffling, and Sabo led him to the couch in the room.

"What are your names?" Sabo asked nicely. The kid looked ill as well, but was not injured. He didn't answer. "Do you have a place to stay tonight?" No response. Sabo didn't think he'd be talking anytime soon, and it was late and he wanted to just go to bed. While he really liked the pirates, they were exhausting to serve, even when their captain was absent. And they left a mess, even if they didn't do it on purpose.

Sabo sighed and then left, picking up his umbrella and bringing it back to the clinic, who had luckily not been far from the harbor. He set it down next to the boy. "If it's still raining, use this, alright? And return it at the only bar in town, okay?" The boy nodded, the first show of acknowledgement that Sabo was there.

So, he walked the rest of the way home in the pouring rain, soaked to his bones, hair plastered to his face. He didn't have a hair band with him, so he continuously pushed it out of his face. When he got home, he just wanted to crash, and after he dried off, he did. Didn't talk about his day or ask about Luffy's, just went to bed. He moved the straw hat to the night stand. Luffy wanted to sleep with it, but it was moved every night for room for his brothers. Otherwise, they'd never touch his treasure.

The next day, everyone knew of the newcomers. Shanks was there as well. Ace went to work, not knowing what had happened, but Sabo took Luffy with him. He would usually meet Shanks at the bar and then go to the beach, but it was still raining. And even Shanks, a yonko, wasn't immune to the irritation of doing _anything_ while being poured on.

Ace really was the best person for his job, body immune to the weather or elements. Sabo wished he could keep himself warm and dry all of the time, but he couldn't do anything about that. So they had Ace's umbrella. Sabo doubted the kid returned the umbrella. But he was still in town, or at least somewhere on the island, since that boat was still here, tied to the deck.

Luffy was jumping in puddles in his rain boots as they headed to the town center from their home. He had a raincoat on, the hood over the hat, which was squished to his head in the back. Sabo and Luffy were passing by the clinic, and had just passed it before the door opened, and the man from last night was there, with the kid in tow.

"Excuse me, did you help me last night?" the man asked, wearing a different shirt from the one before. It had had blood and holes in it, so it was probably ruined beyond repair.

Luffy turned to look, and Sabo discretely pulled him nearer. "Yes, that was me. Are you alright?"

"Yes, thank you very much. My name is Corazon, and this is Law." The grumpy kid with the hat over his eyes and waved, and handed Sabo the umbrella back. It looked like they stayed the night at the clinic. After all, Corazon had been very injured.

Sabo introduced himself and Luffy, who waved simply. "If you need some place to stay until you figure everything out, I'd go to the mayor's office. I'll lead you there. Will you be staying here, do you think? In the village?"

Corazon looked at Sabo with confusion before understanding. "You're from M-" and Sabo shoved his hand against the man's mouth.

"I will not allow you to finish that sentence," Sabo snarled, and Corazon was surprised by the change in him. "If you say anything about that, I'll sic Shanks on you."

Law stormed up to him, angry, and Luffy looked surprised at Sabo's reaction to whatever the man was going to say. He put his hands up, and said, "I apologize. I should know better. I was in a similar situation as you are in." Sabo was sure there were no other celestial dragons that ran away. But then it clicked. He moved back a bit.

"Are you Doflamingo's brother? That's the only person I can think of who is in a similar situation." He nodded, and Sabo asked what he was doing there. The man didn't give a full story, but said that he and Law needed to find a place to stay. "Seeing Mayor Woop Slap would be your best bet. That's his building right there," Sabo said, pointing to the town hall, the small building it was. "C'mon Lu, time to go see Shanks and Makino." Luffy's leg started sagging, so Luffy limped his way along before the limb snapped back into place.

"Luffy, I don't want you going near them, okay?" Sabo said. Luffy asked why. "Well, he's a former celestial dragon turned pirate. But he didn't choose to like we did. I don't know his motive, and I don't want you to associate with anyone from that place."

Luffy knew that "that place" was Mary Geoise. He then understood Sabo's intense reaction. That guy knew who they were, and could tell everybody. But he agreed not to go near them. "What about the boy? Law?" Luffy asked.

Sabo was quiet for a moment. "For now, please don't go near him. We don't know who these people are, but they could be dangerous," Sabo finally replied. He felt guilty for restricting Luffy from having contact with them when he didn't know whether they were good or bad people, but it was for safety's sake.

The two met Shanks at the dock, since he had promised Luffy that he'd give him a full tour of the ship that day. Sabo told Luffy to have fun, and Luffy nodded before running across the deck and up the ramp to explore Shanks' ship. He was going to turn away before Shanks spoke quietly, only Sabo could hear.

"The man that came in last night is strong. We know about your situation, so if he's from the Grand Line at all, he mostly does as well." Sabo nodded. He had a suspicion Shanks had known this whole time, but hadn't wanted to ask if he possibly didn't know. "Don't worry about Luffy, we'll keep him safe."

"Thank you, Shanks," Sabo said with a smile and then walked back up the dock and to the store. He got there and changed into the uniform, still soaking wet. But as he did his job, he also worried. If that man exposed them, Sabo would not hesitate to kill him. And it looked like Shanks wouldn't allow it either.

About three hours after his shift started, the man walked in with the boy. Sabo didn't want to approach them. "Liza, will you go greet them? I have to use the restroom," Sabo lied. His fellow worker nodded and went to greet Corazon. Law wasn't with him.

But when he went back out, the man was looking at the cigarettes. Shit, only Sabo or the manager could get out the cigarettes since they both had the only keys. He cursed under his breath before asking the man, in his work voice, "Do you need some help, sir?" His voice was tight. He was uncomfortable.

"I'd like a pack of cigarettes," he said. Sabo nodded and went behind the counter and got out a pack. They had only one brand, being on such a dinky island when inconsistent trading and shipments. "I'd also like to tell you I won't say anything to anyone." Sabo handed him the pack and charged him, taking the money and putting it in the register.

"Thank you. Have a nice day, sir," Sabo said politely. He still didn't feel good about having someone else (someone who didn't _willingly_ abandon the Celestial Dragon lifestyle) in their town.

-x-

"This is your bedroom?" Luffy asked, looking at the captain's quarters. "Everything is so small," he observed. Shanks chuckled.

"Only because you're comparing it to Whitebeard's room," he replied. Luffy laughed and nodded, his hand on the straw hat. Shanks showed him around the ship some more, and it was completely different than the Moby Dick. Luffy liked both, but they had very different feelings. This ship felt cozier, as it was smaller, but the other yonko's ship was much better for hide and seek or tag. "So, whose ship do you like more?"

Luffy thought for a moment, before settling with, "They're different." Then he added, "More room on Banana Giant's ship, but this one is more cozy, cause it's smaller."

"I can see that assessment. After all, Whitebeard's ship has over a thousand members. Must have been crowded. Though I've never been inside, only out on deck to talk or share sake," Shanks replied. The pirates were inside, since it was raining and the bar wasn't open yet, so Luffy went into their galley, which was completely different from Loaf Head's kitchen. The table was smaller, and there was only one.

So, if Luffy were going to have to choose between ships, he would choose the Moby Dick. so much room and space. Luffy felt a pang of sadness, missing the Whitebeards. He hoped they'd visit soon.

Once it seemed like the rain was gone, Luffy went outside and looked at the town from the tall deck of the Red Force. He could see the fields where Ace worked in the summer, and the shop Sabo worked at. Then he saw Corazon and Law come out of the town hall with a sheet of paper. They had a large umbrella that covered both of them, though it wasn't raining anymore.

Luffy watched curiously, and saw them head towards the only motel in the village, which had six bedrooms. It was known to not be a very comfortable place, but they didn't exactly have a lot of tourists on the island. So the rooms were empty. The owner's husband worked another job that made all of the money.

The straw hatted boy watched them enter the motel, wondering if they would blow their cover. He worried about Shanks and Makino hating him if they knew. He looked to Shanks, who was standing behind him with a smile, and had frowned. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Could you ever hate me and Ace and Sabo?"

"Because you used to be Celestial Dragons?" Luffy looked shocked, eyes wide in fear. "Don't worry, I've known for a long time. I, and none of the guys, think any differently of you. You're still Ace, Sabo and Luffy." Luffy smiled, pulling the brim of his hat over his eyes. "And I don't think Makino could hate you either, but I would keep it a secret from everyone else." Luffy nodded in agreement.

"It stopped raining, can we go practice?" Shanks asked why not, and they got off of the ship and headed to their beach. There were dozens of sandcastles frozen in time around their area, from when Luffy would wait while his brothers were the ones training.

A new training idea Luffy was for Shanks to hold him upside down while he attempted to keep his legs normal. The yonko didn't laugh at him when he asked, and they did that. And Luffy saw progress. "I did it!" he shouted, keeping his legs normal, but then his neck stretched and his head hit the sand, with an "oof".

Shanks sat him down, and Luffy angrily got the sand out of his mouth. "Any progress is good progress. Let's try again." Luffy nodded, and they tried again. He was determined to improve while Shanks was there, to show him he had potential to be strong, be the pirate king and worthy of his hat.

He secretly worried that Shanks would see how weak he was and take the hat back. And that would hurt a lot. Someone other than his family believed in him and that was what really let him try again and again every day. To work at 110% to get better and finally control his body fully. He didn't like his fruit, wished it was a logia or zoan.

But he couldn't undo it, or eat a different fruit for a new try. If you ate two devil fruits, you would die a painful death. So, he'd make do with what he had. And besides, Sabo had told him that he could be strong without ever even using his fruit. Sabo used a pole, not a devil fruit, and he was very strong. So for now, it was just getting back to normal that mattered.

-x-

"Hey, Deuce! Let's go get some drinks," Ace said, his boots covered in mud from the recent storm that they had to trudge through.

"Sure," Deuce said, and they went back to the house of their current employer to change, since they left their normal clothes there. They took off the long boots and muddy pants, changing into Deuce's tank top and cape, and long pants. Ace only wore shorts and his usual boots. The town had long since shown they didn't care about Ace going shirtless.

He wore them when it was appropriate, when the daycare put on a play months ago and he wore a shirt there because it was what was appropriate. The two put their work clothes in the bin that was kept in the shed of their employers and headed into town to go get some beer at Makino's bar.

Shanks and Luffy were at the bar, Luffy having a snack while Shanks and the other pirates drank. Sabo had just arrived for his shift when the bar usually got busy. Since the pirates had been here with them a good two months, no one was afraid of them. So they shared the bar with them, although the citizens never went in there for a _quiet_ place to drink.

Luffy was telling Makino about their new method of practice when Sabo entered. He was in his normal clothes, but had donned an apron just to show he was there for work. He'd followed after Ace and was putting his hair in short pony tails when working. The three of them really needed haircuts. Compared to how they looked when they defected from Mary Geoise, they were unrecognizable. At Mary Geoise, they consciously did not grow their hair out so they didn't need to attempt that ridiculous looking hair style most of them had.

Luffy found Sabo and started to tell him about his day. "Lu, I'm at work. Once I refill the round of drinks, you can tell me, okay?" Luffy pouted, but understood and nodded. Sabo was refilling the last of the drinks that day. A new shipment was coming in in the next two days. So tomorrow, they will be closed.

The moment the bar door was kicked in, Sabo told Luffy to go upstairs, where Makino lived. He could tell that these customers would _not_ be allowed in the presence of Luffy. The room went quiet. "Sorry for the interruption."

Sabo resisted rolling his eyes. He recognized these guys. Their expressions were of those that challenged the Whitebeards only to lose embarrassingly. Besides, Sabo could tell they were nothing special and Shanks was a yonko. But still, he had Luffy hide.

He didn't know how he could tell these guys were weak, since he hadn't unlocked haki yet, as far as he knew, but there was just something about them. The room stayed quiet. "So, these are the so-called pirates? They look like idiots." Sabo shared a telling glance with Makino. She nodded, and he got ready to kick them out if they turned violent.

But, Makino put on her brave face, and said, "Welcome, sirs. What can I get you?" She knew they were out of sake. Everyone knew they were out of sake, as they were all jokingly complaining about it, but no one stopped it. Sabo inched his way closer to them, ready to insist they leave.

There were a group of them, but they were surrounded by New World pirates. While Sabo knew that East Blue citizens weren't versed in the Grand Line, surely they knew what yonkos were?

"We are bandits, we're not here to destroy your bar. We need ten barrels of sake," the lead bandit said. Sabo saw Luffy peeking around the corner, and Sabo sent him a stern glare that had him hurrying back up the stairs.

Makino looked incredibly uncomfortable, so Sabo took it for her. "I'm sorry sir, we're out of sake today. A new shipment will come in two days, so when they come, we'll have plenty of sake for everyone," Sabo said politely.

"Oh? Then what are they all drinking? Juice?"

"That's the last of the sake," Sabo said, still in the polite voice. The bandits grew angry, and Sabo was forced to act when he saw the bandit draw his sword. "Sirs, I'm going to have to ask you to leave. We may be a bar, but weapons are not allowed."

It was true, for all of the pirates' weapons were in the store room. Not that they'd need them to fight back. Some of the normal citizens left in a hurry, vowing to pay them the money later. The sword was lifted and Sabo grabbed the head bandit's wrist, making him drop the sword. Sabo confiscated it and put it behind the counter.

Just then Ace and Deuce walked in loudly. "Whoa, what's going on?" he asked, seeing the tension in the room, and Sabo's firm expression, which he only wore when facing someone they hated.

"We've run out of sake and some customers are upset," Sabo explained simply. Ace raised his eyebrows. Makino looked very worried. The bandit was pissed that Sabo had taken his weapon. "Sirs, please leave. Don't cause a scene."

"You're awfully rude staff, aren't you?" the bandit asked before aiming a clumsy punch at Sabo. he grabbed his wrist and bent it back, breaking it with an audible snap. He cried out, and the other bandits drew their weapons, which is what got the yonko crew to act, restraining the bandits with ease and taking their weapons.

"Leave, now," Sabo commanded. The bandit gripped his painful wrist, but refused to leave. "Ace, Shanks, help me get them out of here," the blonde said in irritation. Makino hadn't protested what Sabo had done, since she most likely would have taken the brunt of their anger.

The pirates got them out, and Ace dragged the head bandit down the street and threw him down. "You could have had a nice peaceful visit, where you would have accepted the fact that they can't turn back time and that the sake was gone," Ace said in mock disappointment. Sabo came out.

"Don't rile them up more, idiot. You are banned from our bar from now on. Violence is not tolerable in any establishment, be it a bar or not," Sabo said to the bandits sternly. Ace saw Luffy watching from behind Shanks, who had his arms crossed. Ace walked over and pointed for Luffy to go back inside or his coloring books would be off limit for a whole day. That got the boy to hurry inside and stay there.

"You're gonna regret this," the bandit said. Shanks was there in an instant.

He looked at him with a cold glare. "We're not just pirates, we're a yonko crew, and don't take threats to allies and friends lightly. Your best and only choice would be to leave and not come back."

The bandit's eyes widened, but he still looked furious. He stormed off, embarrassed beyond belief. Sabo sighed, and they walked back to the bar to repair the door that had been broken. "Makino, I'm sorry if I overstepped and made things worse," Sabo said with a bow. "I just wanted to stop the violence before it started." Makino made sure he knew she thought he did the best thing in that situation.

Shanks headed in and Ace called Luffy down from the living spaces, where you can bet he was listening from. "Luffy, don't go near those bad guys, okay?" Luffy nodded, and walked to Makino and hugged her around the legs.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yes, because your big brother was here," she said kindly.

Luffy beamed and said, "Of course! Sabo is strong." They laughed, and Sabo got to work repairing the broken door. Sabo went behind the counter and knelt down to find the screwdriver, and laughed.

"There was a bottle of sake under here. Not that I think he would have left with one bottle," Sabo said in irritation.

"It's ours!" Ace called over the voice of everyone else. He dropped some money for it on the bar and swiped it away from Sabo. "C'mon, let's go drink Deuce. I think those weaklings won't leave for long." His blue haired friend nodded and the two of them walked in the direction the bandits had stomped off.

They found the bandits arguing amongst themselves. The leader was the one who looked most uncomfortable, and not just because of his broken wrist. Ace took a long swig of the sake and then handed it to Deuce. They listened from around the corner as they fretted. First of all, they lost all of their weapons. Then they know that they'd pissed off a yonko. It seemed the lower bandits didn't know what a yonko was in the first place, which was laughable.

"C'mon, we can't lose to some shit pirates! Higuma-san, c'mon, there has to be something we can do instead of running with our tails between our legs!" he insisted. Higuma, the leader, seemed like all of the fight was out of him. Ace shrugged at Deuce, as they were sure nothing would happen, when the younger, freckled teen heard, "What about ransom? Do _something!"_

"You idiot, what would we hold ransom!?"

"That kid, there was a kid everyone seemed protective of-" a ring of fire formed around all of them, making them scream. Ace walked forwards, body flickering with fire. He looked like a demon, and he was _livid._ It was bad enough they messed up the bar and caused trouble for Sabo and Makino, but the moment they even mention Luffy, they're over.

Ace asked, "What was that? About my brother? You want to hold him ransom?" he asked in a cold voice. Higuma was the first to insist they wouldn't do anything. While he was the weakest willed of the bunch, he was the smartest. "I don't believe you."

The fire pushed against them, urging them closer to the water's edge. They were near the end of the town that reached up into the mountains, where they must have come from. They'd never seen these guys before, so it was a bit odd that this was their first time they ventured to Windmill Village.

The fire roared higher and higher until they were forced to jump into the water to get away. Of course, Ace did this for a reason. The Lord of the Coast showed up, looking happy for all of the nice food it had just come across. It ate all of them, leaving not a trace. Ace didn't feel a thing when they died. The fire calmed and disappeared.

Deuce whistled, and drank the rest of the bottle. "You're one scary brother, Ace."

"Well, they won't be bothering anyone else. Besides, if they mentioned taking Luffy in front of Shanks, he would have had them killed regardless." Deuce wasn't afraid of him, nobody was afraid of Ace. But they would be if they threatened to hurt his brother. "Let's go back now."

Ace took the bottle and glared at Deuce. "You drank the rest!"

"Sorry," Deuce said, though it didn't sound genuine. Ace grumbled that he had been the one to pay for it. "Yeah, but you offered it. Obviously you would pay for it." Ace scoffed, and they walked back into town to the bar.

Sabo looked up when they entered, as he was writing down bills that those who had run would need to come back to pay. "What happened?" Sabo asked.

"They fell into the water and were found by the Lord of the Coast," Ace said simply. Luffy wasn't paying attention, distracted by the apple wedges and peanut butter in front of him. "The sea king didn't like hearing they would attempt to hurt a small someone."

Shanks said, "Well, that's a shame," in a dark voice. "Good job neutralizing a threat." Luffy heard this all but hadn't caught on to people dying because of him. Well, not _because_ of him, but for him.

Ace headed to the bar and snatched an apple wedge from Luffy's plate. He looked up and looked extremely offended. "Ace! That was mine!" he shouted angrily. Ace smiled.

"Sharing is caring, Lu."

"But you didn't ask for me to share! You just took it!" Luffy accused.

Ace apologized, and offered to buy him another juice. Luffy said it was only okay if it was apple juice, to replace his apple wedge. Makino made him a glass and Ace put some money on the counter.

It was as if the bandit attack had never happened and they went about their normal routines. "Sabo, since we've run out of sake and no customers will be coming, you're free to leave when you wish," Makino said. Sabo smiled and thanked her. He packed up Luffy's coloring book and put it in his little backpack, and they headed back home.

"Ace, I need to tell you something. Doflamingo's brother is here. He arrived last night and I helped him out, but he knows who we are. And he has some kid with him. Just, be careful with him around, okay? I told Luffy to not go near him," Sabo explained quietly as the three walked home. Luffy completely couldn't read the atmosphere, and said, "Can we have breakfast for dinner?"

Ace replied, "Sure, it's my turn to cook and that should be easy." He knocked the strawhat back and ruffled Luffy's hair.

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**Ace's reaction might seem over the top with feeding the bandits to the sea king, but they threatened Luffy. Shanks had his crew shoot them and he wasn't Luffy's big brother.**


	13. A New Hurdle

**ChibiChim164: My baby, I couldn't allow him to die in this universe.**

**Ukiwakii: Law is very prominent in the rest of the story. Love him.**

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**Posted my second crossover written, but first actually posted! And I finished a story with 201,000 words, a new record. 537 pages to edit... help me. So, some drama in this chapter (poor Ace). Enjoy~**

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"Shanks! Look!" Luffy shouted as he jumped onto the bar of a tall fence and let himself hang, but none of him stretched. He stayed perfectly normal and then he climbed up on it so his legs were hanging over the side while the rest of his body was upside down. Again, none of him stretched, but he did fall on his head.

It didn't hurt, of course. Dull blows, like hitting his head or falling down didn't hurt anymore, which was cool. He got back up, putting the hat back on his head. "The great improvement Luffy!" Shanks praised, and Luffy beamed a bit bashfully. "Now you can go back to your friends at the daycare and they won't laugh at you."

Luffy nodded. Even though his friends had hurt his feelings, he'd missed them. "I'll go back tomorrow. Now the real training starts! I'll be strong like Ace and Sabo, just you wait!" Luffy exclaimed, pumping his fists in the air.

"I'm sure you will be. And you'll have to think outside the box for your attacks," Shanks said. When Luffy looked a bit confused, he added, "I mean you'll need to be creative."

"Oh! Yeah, that's right," Luffy agreed. He ran off towards the bar to show Makino. "You gotta help me, Shanks! I wanna show Makino." The pirate captain followed after the boy, and Luffy entered the bar to see there were a few people. The sake shipment had come last week, so there was plenty of alcohol now. And the Red Hair pirates promised to not drink all of it and risk a tiff like the one with the bandits again.

"Makino, I got better on my fruit!" Luffy said, and excitedly told Shanks to hang him from his arms, and show he didn't stretch, and then upside down, when he didn't stretch. Makino smiled and praised his progress. Luffy finally noticed there was another kid in there. He was older than Luffy and looked pretty grumpy. Luffy noticed he was watching Luffy intently, but he didn't know why. Then a small dome formed over his hand and then disappeared, making him visibly tired. Luffy knew it was a devil fruit.

"Hey, hey! Do you have a devil fruit, too?!" Luffy exclaimed. The boy leaned away from him in discomfort, but the man nodded. It was Corazon, he remembered. And the boy was Law. His brothers said no nicknames here, so he didn't get to make ones for them. One would be Fluffy and the other Pouty. Corazon replied.

"We both have devil fruits. Law's is new, so he's not able to control it well." Luffy said his was new too.

Then he gushed about how strong Ace, his brother was, with his devil fruit. Luffy was surprised when Shanks interrupted them, and asked if Luffy wanted to go get some ice cream. Luffy was completely distracted by this, and followed the captain out of the room, the hat bouncing against his small back and shoulders.

Ace was working picking apples when he started to feel exhausted. He needed a break. So he pulled the gloves off and dropped them on the ground before he sat down and leaned his back against the closest tree, before he drifted off to sleep.

"Ace, Ace?" Deuce said, and Ace slowly opened his eyes. "You okay?" he asked in concern.

"Yeah. I just got really tired all of the sudden," he explained, and stood up. He felt better now, if not still a little tired. He put the gloves back on and got to work. After work, he headed to the bar, but found Luffy was sitting on the dock with Shanks, eating a sandwich. Ace really was grateful for Shanks' presence. Especially when Luffy wasn't getting along with his friends. Shanks was a good man.

He headed over to get the boy and take him home to have dinner, since he would no doubt still be hungry after eating the sandwich. "Lu, let's go home," Ace said kindly. Luffy stuffed the rest of the sandwich into his mouth and jumped up. He then swallowed it whole, and said, "I'ma show you how gooder - I mean better- at controlling my body to not stretch I got!" Luffy said, jumbling his words in excitement.

"I look forward to it!" Ace said cheerily. "Thanks for watching him, Shanks. See you tomorrow?" Ace asked.

Luffy spoke up, "I can control myself better, so I'm gonna go back to my friends and they can't laugh at me anymore." Ace smiled at him and took his hat and plopped it on his head, since it was hanging by the string of it against his back.

"I'm sure they'll be happy to see you again. It's been a long time," Ace replied as they walked back home. Luffy nodded, and said he'd missed them but didn't like how it felt when they teased him. "I'm sure they weren't meaning to be cruel, but I can understand why it felt that way. Laughing at someone else when they're having a hard time isn't something that is very nice." Luffy nodded, thinking they weren't trying to be mean to him.

When they got home, before dinner, Ace helped Luffy take a bath with bubbles and toys. He couldn't fit in the tub with him here, but he could sit on the floor next to it and play with his toys as well. It was something Ace found he missed. Having a huge bathtub. While he could fit in this one, it was cramped. But at least Lu could fit comfortably.

After the bath, Luffy put on his pajamas and little robe, and they had dinner, some lemon chicken. They always kept the fridge and cupboards stocked. They wouldn't be running out of their stolen money any time soon. They rarely used any of that anyways, only using the money they made at work. While the food cooked, Luffy talked to Whitebeard about his day.

Sabo came home later than usual, and stuffed a couple apples in his mouth before he went to bed.

When they woke up, it was to screaming from Ace. Sabo and Luffy woke immediately before Ace stopped screaming, and was just panting and had tears in his eyes, keeping them shut tightly.

"Ace, what happened?" Sabo asked. Luffy was very freaked out, and the blonde was, too. Ace had been terrified, which had never happened before. Did he have a terrible bad dream? What kind of dream would cause that?

Ace finally took deep breaths and sat up. "I think I had a hallucination," he said quietly. He brought his knees up to his chest. "It… it was bad. Really, really bad." Sabo didn't ask what it was in front of Luffy, but the boy asked to know. "It was a monster, but it's not here. I just saw it."

Sabo was very concerned, and told both of them to dress, that they were going to the clinic. Luffy nodded, and Ace agreed, all of them changing into new clothes, brushing their teeth at the same time with Luffy on his stool so he could reach the sink.

Sabo called the owner on the baby den den and alerted him that Ace was sick and he was taking him to the clinic. He apologized, but the owner said it was fine based on Sabo's perfect record of being on time and not leaving early.

They were seen immediately, and Luffy stayed quiet and behaved, even though there was no one else in the room. While Ace was explaining his feeling of sleepiness and the waking nightmare, he suddenly fell forwards and off of the bed, hitting the floor hard. "Ace!" Sabo and Luffy shouted it. It was lucky he was a logia of he would have definitely broken his nose.

Sabo picked him up and laid him on the hospital bed. The nurse, Betty, was perfectly calm. "Don't worry, he isn't deathly ill. I'm positive he has narcolepsy." Sabo knew what that was, and sighed. "We have medication for it, but we'll have to tamper with the doses until it's right. He may still have sleep attacks, falling unconscious suddenly, but he should hopefully not wake or go to sleep with hallucinations. Sleeping pills will help him stay asleep the whole night.

"So don't panic, he'll be just fine." Luffy was crying a bit, afraid for Ace. When he woke up, he was confused, but automatically reacted to Luffy's tears by hugging him tightly. "We know what is wrong with you, Ace. You've developed narcolepsy. It interferes with your sleep schedule. I will prescribe medication that will help, but your life will still be affected in some way.

"But since you're a logia, falling and hitting anything won't injure you, which is lucky," Betty said. Ace didn't feel any better about it. What if he passed out when supervising Luffy? He wasn't happy at all. Would it interfere with his job? He hoped not, hoped his employers would be understanding. He couldn't control and didn't ask for this medical condition.

He couldn't stop seeing the headless, bloody monster that was right next to his side of the bed. He scrunched his eyes closed, but that didn't help at all. "Will I still have hallucinations?" he asked quietly. Luffy was hugging him tightly, sitting in his lap.

Betty replied, "It's possible. Hopefully not, hopefully medication helps, but it is possible. I'm sorry." She sounded sincere, but nothing she said made him feel reassured or better. Didn't make him not feel guilty. For putting it all on Sabo.

He was told to come in the next day for the medication he would be prescribed. He thanked her and nodded. "I'm sorry, Sabo," Ace said dejectedly. Sabo looked surprised and asked why he was apologizing. "I'm not suitable to supervise Luffy alone anymore."

Luffy took offense, "I'll be good if you fall asleep! I won't run off, promise!" Luffy exclaimed. Ace put his hand on Luffy's hatted head.

"You're only five, Lu. You still need adult supervision," Sabo said, Ace looking guilty, still. Luffy pouted, and said he was a big boy. "A big boy, maybe. But even a big boy needs supervision. Right?" Luffy huffed, and didn't agree, just looked the other way with a deep frown and arms crossed. "Now, why don't we take you to the daycare to see your friends again?" This distracted him, and he nodded.

When he entered the daycare, he was swarmed by his friends and fellow young children. "Where did you go?" Bonney asked sadly, and some of the other kids nodded in agreement, wondering why he'd left for so long.

Luffy looked at his feet, in his small tennis shoes. "I wanted to be better at my fruit so no one would laugh at me anymore," he said quietly. His friends frowned, looking like they were feeling guilt.

"I'm sorry for laughing at it. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings," Bonney said, the other kids nodding. Kid looked regretful, but Luffy didn't expect an apology. He was too prideful. Luffy instantly forgave them, but requested they don't laugh at him. They all nodded, not wanting him to leave again for a long time.

Luffy told them about Law, who is also a devil fruit user, a new guy. And how the man who was with him was also a devil fruit user. "So there's four now I think," Luffy summed up. The other children were still fascinated by devil fruits.

"I need one to be strong! We should go on a hunt for them!" Kid declared. A couple of the others agreed. Luffy didn't.

"But they are super not in common," he pointed out. "But it would be fun for all of us to have devil fruits! We'd all be so cool and amazing!"

Kid declared he'd find a fruit better than all of theirs, whatever they found. "Would suck if you got that jacket fruit Luffy told us about," Bonney said with a laugh. Kid shouted back that he'd make it cool even if he got a stupid one. Conis came over, reminding them to use their inside voices since the toddlers were having nap time. The older kids had nap time when the toddlers were awake so they could switch toys.

"Hey, wanna see something?" Luffy asked. The other kids looked over, and Luffy stretched his cheeks extremely far apart, and stuck his tongue out which stretched down. They snapped back into place, knocking him backwards with a loud noise.

Some of the kids laughed, but Luffy knew it wasn't in mean spirit. He laughed, too, how he'd fallen down because of it. "Hey, hey, since being hit or falling doesn't hurt, I bet having stuff thrown at me wouldn't hurt. Or bullets!"

Kid said they should go try, and they ran outside, collecting balls of all sizes. They threw tennis balls and rubber balls at him from a distance, and they all bounced off. Then he had an idea to become a ball, too. After all, some of the balls they played with were made of rubber. He sucked in a huge amount of air before he expanded into a round version of himself. Kid ran forward and jumped on him like he was a trampoline. It caused all of the air to leave Luffy.

"That wasn't nice, Kid," Bonney scolded. But Luffy was just happy that he had been able to use it other than just having it function.

"I turned into a balloon!" Luffy exclaimed. "Hey, if I stretched that much with air, how much do you think I could eat before getting full? I could eat forever and not get sick!" Luffy was beaming, and then turned around to see Law walking past the fence. Luffy ran forward. "Law! Hey, Law!" He looked over and glared at Luffy. Bonney ran up and shouted, "Show us your devil fruit!"

Law told them, "No. Leave me alone," and walked away. Bonney frowned deeply, eyes watery. Someone had been mean to them, glaring like he hated them.

"Don't worry, Bonney. I think he's just cranky. I never seen him not be cranky since he came here," Luffy said. Bonney nodded, and Kid grew angry.

"What a jerk," he commented. Luffy didn't tell him not to say mean things. Kid didn't take well to his peers telling him what to do. Conis came outside and called them inside for snack time. They all ran inside and got in line for the juice boxes and animal crackers. Kid was still stewing over Law's rudeness.

Luffy was happy things went back to normal and no one was teasing him any more. It really was an accident, they didn't mean to hurt his feelings. And he was glad.

"God damnit," Ace hissed, trying to get all of the dirt off of his pants and chest, and face. He had a sleep attack and fell into the mud. Deuce came up behind him with a towel, and offered it to his friend. "Thanks," he said, irritated and embarrassed. Luckily, he didn't smash any of the plants.

"So you're getting meds for it tomorrow?" Ace had explained everything to Deuce, and told him to not freak out if Ace just suddenly passed out. At least this time I didn't have a hallucination. He nodded, wiping the dirt and mud off of him. His fire powers didn't do much good for dirt and mud. It was break time, noon, so they could go get something to eat. There were a handful of restaurants in the village, but they usually just went to the store to get jerky or fruits. It didn't cost much to do that.

When they were nearing the town center, the guy Sabo had told him about passed by. He saw Ace and walked up to him. "Can I help you?" Ace asked tensely, since Deuce didn't know about the three's past life. Ace didn't know how he would react to that. The brothers knew that someday, everyone would find out. It was inevitable and they knew the day would come, but hopefully it wouldn't be for a long time, and that they'd be trusted and liked enough to not be run out of town or killed.

"I just wanted to let you know I won't be causing any trouble for you. It was a bad first impression with your brother," he said, smoking a cigarette. The kid who was usually with him wasn't there this time. Ace asked if they were staying in the village permanently or just visiting. "Not sure yet," he replied simply. Ace nodded and he and Deuce walked on their way again.

Deuce asked who he was, what he was talking about. "He came in wounded or some shit and Sabo brought him to the clinic. Apparently he said something to Sabo and he didn't react well. Told me to stay away from him." It was the truth, just missing a big chunk. "Apparently both him and the kid are devil fruit users. So there's four of us in town now. Me, Luffy, him and the kid."

Deuce nodded, and the two headed to the store, where Sabo was not in, probably working in the back or doing something boring. Ace was glad he was given the manual labor job. He didn't have to be polite to anyone and everyone, and got to be outside and shirtless. Plus he'd made a friend there, and they had fun together.

They passed Shanks, sitting on the deck and frowning. "What's wrong?" Ace wondered, stopping, his friend following suit.

"Nothing."

Ace grinned. "Are you upset Lu returned to the daycare?" he teased. Shanks scowled at him and said, "No."

Ace just laughed, since it was clear he was lying, and the two resumed their walk to the store. Ace was very thankful for Shanks' involvement with Luffy. Just like he was grateful for the time he'd spent with the Whitebeards. They had the photos pinned to the walls all over the house. They didn't want Luffy to forget.

But, his plan was to still be with the Whitebeards, just not indefinitely. And he wanted to get stronger before setting out on his own, and where would be a better place to train than on a yonko crew? Luffy had a knack for charming yonkos apparently.

The rest of the day, he didn't have a sleep attack and carried out his work normally. When he went to get Luffy, he didn't want to go home. "I wanna be with my friends, Ace!" Ace crouching in front of him patiently.

"But your friends want to go home, too. They want dinner," Ace pointed out, and Luffy's tummy rumbled in response to the words. He pouted at it. Now he was hungry, too! "Maybe tomorrow you can introduce Shanks to your friends," he offered. Luffy continued to pout, but nodded and put his dinosaur backpack on, taking Ace's hand and walking home.

Sabo came back while Ace cooked dinner, with Luffy in the living room coloring in an animal themed coloring book. Sabo walked to him and asked the boy to make him a picture he could put at the wall near the desk. Luffy excitedly nodded, and did his best to color within the lines, even if it wasn't done too well.

But of course, Sabo loved it and kissed his head. "Look at this picture, Ace. I'm sure you haven't seen anything better." Ace looked at it.

"Did you make this Luffy?" The boy nodded excitedly. "Wow! It looks like a professional artist!" he exclaimed, making Luffy giggle shyly.

"Thank you…" he said bashfully, hands behind his back. Sabo pinned it to the wall over the desk where he wrote his log books. Kind of like journals but no emotion in them. Just what had happened each day. Part of him did it for the Whitebeards once they reunited.

After dinner and Luffy was tucked into bed, Ace and Sabo took the den den mushi from it's safe space and called the yonko crew. This time it wasn't fluffy talk about Luffy and his day. It was the two teens relaying what had happened that day. Both with Ace's narcolepsy and the former noble they saw as possibly troublesome.

"I'm so sorry, Ace. That must be horrible," Haruta said empathetically.

"Yeah, it sucks," Ace replied. Apparently they weren't being quiet enough in the living room for tiny footsteps were heard and Luffy shouted, "Why did I not get to talk?!"

He appeared at the foot of the stairs, stuffed bear in the crook of his elbow with his hair messed up with bed head. He was pouting at his brothers. "It wasn't gonna be a fun conversation, Lu. I'm just telling them about my narcolepsy," Ace answered patiently.

"Still not fair," Luffy said in a grumpy voice, though he was too cute to take it seriously.

Haruta said, "Why don't we talk tomorrow, Luffy? Your brothers were about to get off of the den den as well." Luffy looked uncertain before he dramatically said, "Fine," and stomped back up the stairs. Haruta and the others on the line laughed and the two older brothers said goodbye and got ready for bed as well.

Luffy wasn't able to get mad at them anymore since he was out already, thumb in his mouth and laying on his side, blankets a mess on top of him. Ace kissed his forehead, and Sabo smiled. They loved him too much for his own good. They wouldn't ever let him go at this rate.


	14. An Explosive Argument

**Ukiwakii: Thank you! Yeah, poor Ace. Shanks doesn't meet the other kids, Luffy is his one and only tiny friend. lol.**

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**Some emotional moments in this chapter. Enjoy~**

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"Gum gum fishing!" Luffy said and threw his arm to grab a marble of the ground. Shanks laughed at him, since it wasn't exactly a helpful move. He relaxed the arm and let it grow longer before using his other hand to throw it like a rope. He was still trying to get basic control over being able to stretch it on purpose. He stuck his tongue out at Shanks. But it worked and he got the marble, snapping his arm back so hard it hit his face and he fell down. But he didn't cry. He was six now, celebrated his birthday with the pirates again. "I did it, though!" Luffy shouted at Shanks, who just smiled.

Luffy sat back up, making sure his hat was still on, and Shanks suddenly looked very serious. "What's wrong?" Luffy asked, wondering why he looked so serious.

Shanks said, "We're gonna be setting sail soon. We've been here over a year, now." Luffy's eyes widened and he frowned deeply, but didn't cry. "We've been here too long, it's incredible that we haven't been caught by any marines yet."

"But I'll miss you," Luffy said in a voice dripping with sadness.

"I'll miss you, too, Luffy. But we'll meet again some day. Remember you still have to return the straw hat to me. Plus, on Banana Giant's ship, I meet with them sometimes. So when you're with them, we'll see one another again."

Luffy no longer called Whitebeard "Banana Giant", but Shanks liked saying it just to say it. Luffy called Marco, Thatch and Haruta by their names, but not the others since he didn't really talk with them on the den den. And they did still talk, but not every day. They sent gifts to the three, still wanting to be part of their lives.

Luffy was still incredibly sad. Shanks had been there with them at the island for most of the time they lived there. Shanks put his hand on Luffy's head. "Will you not visit here again?" he asked quietly.

Shanks was looking at the sea when he replied, "We were lucky enough this time, I'm sure we can't visit again and not bring attention here." Luffy hid the tears, putting his hat over his eyes. He didn't want to cry in front of Shanks.

"When are you gonna go?" Luffy asked quietly.

"Sometime next week. We can't leave without having one final party. Now Makino won't be running out of alcohol so often, and Sabo won't be so busy."

Luffy pointed out that a lot of that money was important. "Sabo won't get tips anymore," he added. Shanks looked shocked, and Luffy laughed. "Don't worry, we have lots of money. But he will be bored." The yonko pushed his own hat back and ruffled Luffy's hair. They spent the rest of the afternoon together, Luffy doing his training and Shanks laughing at him while also trying to assist.

-x-

"We're gonna miss you. Though the village will be much quieter without you drunks around," Sabo joked, shaking Shanks' hand. Ace was standing with Luffy at the front of the goodbye crowd. Many of the kids were sad to see them go, but no one had the emotional connection that Luffy and his brothers did. The six year old was holding his hat to his chest. It was his and Shanks' treasure and he'd always take care of it.

"You, too Sabo. It's been a great experience. Didn't think taking a vacation in the East Blue would last so long. Should have gone back months ago, but things are steady in the New World right now. Plus, Banana Giant is helping us out since we both have a common interest." And Shanks winked at the brothers.

Everyone had already said goodbye to the rest of the crew who were getting ready to set sail, storing the supplies and resources in their proper places. Makino was crying, going to miss them all, since she saw them almost every day of their stay.

"Don't give up on that dream, Luffy. I look forward to seeing a _new_ pirate king," Shanks said encouragingly, and put his hand on Luffy's head.

"I p-promise I won't," Luffy sputtered. "I'll get super strong!"

Shanks grinned. "I believe you. It's been fun everyone! I hope to see you again someday, just not as enemies," he said, and got on his ship, waving goodbye to everyone before they were too small to distinguish.

Luffy started to cry, and Ace hugged him. His friends walked over to and cheered him up. None of them were close to him like Luffy was. Ace and Sabo knew they'd need to do some serious cheering up after this.

Sabo noticed Corazon and Law were on the other side of the docks, having watched the scene. They really stayed secluded. Apparently they found some place to live in the forest or at least on the coast between Goa and Windmill village. He only saw Corazon when he most got cigarettes from the store.

He thought sometimes that he had acted wrong in shunning him, but Law didn't seem too keen on human interaction. He ignored whenever Luffy and the other kids his size wanted to talk. Sabo accompanied Makino to the bar to put things away from the last party the pirates had thrown. Well, every time they were there it was treated like a party.

For the next week, Luffy secluded himself. He felt he had lost a best friend, even if Shanks didn't see it like that. Luffy spent so much of his time with the man that he wasn't really sure what to do anymore. Ace and Sabo had work, Shanks was gone, and now all he had left were his friends, but he didn't want to spend all of the time with them.

So he found himself once again calling the Whitebeards daily. Thatch was usually the one to talk for a long time. Once Luffy stopped calling them their nicknames, some were happy while Thatch was upset. The nicknames had stuck on the ship. Marco would never stop being called Pineapple, or Thatch Loaf Head or the captain as Banana Giant.

When he came to the den den he said, "Luffy, you got that red haired brat calling me Banana Giant," in a gruff voice. There was laughter on the other end, but Luffy just felt sad. Instead of replying to that, Luffy said, "I miss him. I didn't want him to leave."

"Do you still want to come back with us?" Thatch asked in worry, probably thinking Luffy wanted to go be with Shanks now.

"I still want to go back to everyone. I'm just lonely now. Ace and Sabo have work, and I like my friends, but I don't want to spend all day with them. And Ace and Sabo say I have to be supervised all the time," Luffy explained.

Ace and Sabo were downstairs, as Luffy had taken the den den upstairs so he could talk with the Whitebeards, whoever answered, alone. "Well, maybe you can help Ace out at his job? I'm sure going to the bar won't be the same after Shanks left," Thatch suggested. Luffy nodded, thinking that was a good idea.

He replied, "I guess I could try that." Thatch wished him goodnight as it was night time, and Luffy responded the same. He brought the heavy snail downstairs and put it on the table. "I'm gonna go to bed now."

"Okay, Lu. I'll be there in a bit," Sabo said, Ace filling out paperwork for something.

The next day, Luffy was with Ace while he worked, in the background and practicing his devil fruit, while Ace could see him but was also working. It was hot outside, Luffy was wearing a tank top and some shorts, getting tired just from using his powers. He was bored, and missed Shanks already. He said he wasn't visiting, like the Whitebeards said that they would. It made him very sad.

He had just thrown a real punch, though it bounced on the ground and then hit his face, when he saw a blue dome at the beach. It was transparent, and he wanted to go see, immediately wandering away from Ace to go look. He was still visible, just smaller from the distance. He hurried over and looked over a rock he was hiding behind to see Law, who he rarely saw anymore, using his devil fruit.

It was fascinating, looking much cooler than Luffy's did. "Room!" he called, and the blue dome appeared again. "Shambles." And the rock Luffy was hiding behind switched with a much smaller rock, exposing his presence. Law saw him and scowled.

"That's super cool! Better than my devil fruit," Luffy said in a pout. Law still looked angry until he heard Luffy had his own devil fruit.

"You're a power holder?" Luffy assumed he meant a devil fruit user, and nodded.

"It's not super cool, I'm made of rubber," Luffy said. He liked some of his fruit, like he wouldn't be hurt from falling, but he couldn't do much else with it. Law raised his eyebrows, and then looked curious. He asked if Luffy's entire body was made of rubber, and he nodded. He grabbed his cheeks and stretched them out much too far than a normal human could.

Law was doing his best not to look interested, but Luffy could tell. "Can you do anything with it?" Luffy sadly shook his head, and replied that it was very hard to control, let alone use as any attack.

"I have to ask. Why are you affiliated with the Whitebeards? You have their flag in front of your house," Law asked, changing the subject. Luffy beamed.

He said, "Well, me and Ace and Sabo were on their ship, and they brought us here. We knew they wanted to keep us, but we wanted to live normal lives. So they brought us here, and when I'm stronger and older, we're going to go back and sail with them again."

Law looked surprised. "Why did you give up that for this?" he wondered.

Luffy sat down and explained that he and his brothers came from a home they didn't like, and so we wanted to live peacefully around people who weren't mean. "The Whitebeards forced us to stay at first, we never wanted to be pirates, but they took us here when they realized we didn't want to stay."

The older nodded. Luffy asked where he'd come from. "I came from a not so good place as well. After I got my devil fruit, Cora-san brought the ship here and now we're living here," he explained simply.

"Don't you get lonely?" Luffy suddenly asked. "You're always by yourself. Don't you want friends?"

Law stiffened, a glower back in place. "I don't need friends. I don't care about having friends." Luffy didn't know why someone would _want_ to be lonely. He pointed out that having friends was fun. Being alone was sad and boring. "I'm not alone, I have Cora-san."

Luffy cocked his head. "Then where is he?" he asked, still sitting on the grass above the sand of the small beach area. The Lord of the Coast didn't come over here because of the rocks blocking his path, so people were safe to swim there.

"At work. Since he's not welcome in Windmill Village, he works in Goa kingdom. I stay here while he's away," he said, turning his back to show he was done with the conversation. Luffy didn't get the hint.

"Well, if you ever want some friends, I'm a good one. And I could practice my devil fruit with you! My friends think it's stupid, but they're not mean about it anymore. But your fruit looks cooler," Luffy said, and ran off, back to Ace so he wouldn't get in trouble for running off. Luckily, Ace hadn't noticed, but Deuce had. Luffy looked at him with wide eyes, and shook his head, not wanting Deuce to tell on him and get him in trouble.

The blue haired man just smiled and winked at him, making Luffy grin. Deuce was a cool guy!

On days where he wasn't playing with his friends, Luffy snuck off to see Law. his brothers thought he was with his friends in a safe place, but he was actually at the beach, which had become an informal meeting place. Luffy pestered him for a long time before he seemed to cave, and accepted that Luffy wasn't going to leave him alone and he would just need to learn to deal with it.

Luffy had a practice partner again. And even though Law was nowhere near as kind as Shanks was, he didn't make fun of him for failing. And the more Luffy practiced with someone else, the more he improved. He was able to shoot his arm out at will, even though the harsh snap backwards hit him in the face or knocked him over.

Law had found a sword somewhere, and started to learn moves with his fruit with that. But then, one day, a month after Luffy started sneaking off to visit with Law, Ace found him, and was _livid._ "What are you doing here, Luffy?!" he demanded. Luffy flinched at the shout, and wrung his hands together.

"Me and Law are practicing our fruits," he said meekly. Law looked nervous, probably since Ace was flaming up on his shoulders. "I'm supervised, aren't I?" Luffy asked.

"I meant by an adult, Luffy. Not another child," he said, voice lower but still full of anger. "Do you know how worried I was when I went to pick you up and Bonney said you hadn't even been there? I searched town for you but couldn't find you!"

Luffy felt guilt at worrying his brother. Law was slowly inching away. "But Law is my friend, too. And he'd helping me get better with my power!" the youngest said, finding his voice. He rarely argued with his brothers. "It's so boring when Shanks left and I got too old to go to the daycare!"

Ace sighed, and pinched the bridge of his nose. He glared at Law, who stiffened at it. "How long have you been sneaking off, Luffy?" Luffy quietly answered three weeks.

"But not every day! Just most days! And I'm okay, I'm fine and haven't gotten hurt! I'm safe with Law, and he's not mean to me or anything," Luffy said. But Ace was still angry. He'd been near tears when he couldn't find Luffy anywhere, and almost had a panic attack in fear and worry that something bad had happened to his baby brother.

"Luffy, I don't want you coming out here anymore," Luffy started to protest. "But I'm not going to not let you be friends with Law. I just don't want you two unsupervised. Alright? There are bad people on this island, they could come after you. Law may have a devil fruit, but neither of you are invincible or perfect at them. You'd be sitting ducks!"

Law asked why he should do what Ace said, why he should go with Luffy when he came there first. Law didn't _ask_ for Luffy to come. When Luffy heard this, he ran off in tears. Ace glared at Law, and then ran after Luffy. When he reached him, Ace tried to hug him, but Luffy pushed him away and ran home. Ace felt like he'd been burned, and lost his breath when Luffy ran away from him.

He balled his fists, and took some deep breaths. Luffy didn't like being alone, so Ace wouldn't let him be upset by himself. They had never gotten in an argument like this. Ace had to remind himself that Luffy wasn't a baby anymore. He was almost seven. He had moved to his own room, taking the former playroom.

Luffy wasn't a baby anymore. He was too old for the day care, but he still didn't want him unsupervised by an adult. And he was angry at himself, for he didn't think Law would have said something so hurtful if Ace hadn't gotten upset about it. He had hurt luffy, and it made him feel like a villain.

He hurried home, and found Luffy in his room. The door didn't have a lock, so Ace knocked and then opened it. He was crying under his blankets on his bed. He sat on the bed next to him. "Go away, Ace," Luffy said through his tears. Ace flinched, but wiped the hurt expression off of his face.

"I'm sorry I got so upset, Lu. I was just worried, and angry that we didn't notice you missing all this time. I feel like a terrible big brother, and my behavior made Law say hurtful things. If he hasn't made you to leave by now, he didn't mean what he said," Ace said quietly, hunched over and looking at his feet.

Luffy said, "I'm big now." Ace disagreed wholeheartedly, but he didn't voice it. While he and Sabo had lived by themselves at seven, they were in a safe environment. It was completely different from this setting and situation.

Ace rubbed his hands down his face. He wished Sabo was here, he'd probably be better at this. "You're still a child, Luffy," he said, stating an absolute fact.

"Then when am I old enough?" he demanded, still hiding under his blankets with tears still in his voice. He was angry, but he was also hurt by what Law had said and how angry Ace had gotten. Ace thought for a long moment, trying to come up with an answer. He couldn't answer and then take it back later. He just couldn't do that, he and Sabo didn't lie to Luffy. If they did, he'd be very hurt.

Ace was about to answer when there was a knock on the front door. Ace sighed, and said he'd be right back. He walked down the stairs quickly and found Law was outside. Ace was an adult, he wouldn't just not answer. He was twenty now, he had to grow up. He had grown up, but still. He couldn't be indignant with anger. Glaring at Law like that had already been immature.

He opened the door. "Can I talk to Luffy?" he asked, the first thing he'd said. He had his long sword propped against his shoulder. Ace nodded and called Luffy down, saying Law was there. He didn't come down, and Law looked worried. So Ace opened the door wider and stepped aside to let him in.

Ace had never spent time alone with Law, since he was at work or home and Law and his guardian lived out of the village limits. Well, what they said was the village limit. Law walked up the stairs, and Ace listened from below.

Luffy didn't open the door when it was knocked at at first, but then got up and opened it. Law was there, looking upset and worried. "I'm sorry about what I said. I didn't mean for it to come out like that," he said immediately. Luffy wiped his nose and nodded, but said nothing. "I'll train with you here, your backyard is big, if your brothers say that's okay."

Luffy walked past him and called Ace up, who was there instantly. "Law says we can practice in the backyard. Then we're somewhere safe where no one will get us," Luffy said, not wasting any time. Ace nodded, it was a good compromise. Luffy got time alone with his friends while in a safe environment.

"That's fine. I really am sorry, Lu. I was just scared. I don't know what I'd do if we lost you," Ace said sincerely, regret and guilt coloring his voice. Law walked down the stairs after Luffy and Ace, looking uncomfortable. "You'll have to be careful, okay? No cooking or lighting the fireplace when we're not here."

"Promise," Luffy said, sounding happier already. Ace then turned to Law and apologized for acting immature. Law waved it off, and asked when he should come over.

Ace and Sabo left for work at eight and ten in the morning, so before ten so Ace can make sure he knows if they're there. Law nodded, and looked at Luffy again, who looked happy despite the red and puffy eyes and pink nose. He looked guilty, and then said, "See you tomorrow, Luffy-ya," and left.

Sabo hadn't been there for the blowout, and neither Ace or Luffy wanted to talk about it, so he didn't know it had happened. And Luffy didn't want to tell the Whitebeards, who they talked to once a week now, instead of every or every other day.

They were all doing well, and had brought another two islands under their protection in the New World, and had grown the crew slightly. Things were good on their end, and Whitebeard was healthy despite being seventy now. Nobody said the unspoken option, that Whitebeard could pass away before the three rejoined the crew, even if it may be temporary for Luffy.

But, all three brothers had a silent agreement that they'd return, whether Whitebeard was the captain or not. But, the yonko crew were all excited to see them again, and hinted at visiting for Luffy's next birthday. He was so excited, and wanted to introduce Law. Luffy had unknowingly drifted away from his other friends. Or maybe he was just growing up and didn't want to play with them every day. After all, they had all turned too old to go to the daycare, where they used to be with one another daily.


	15. A Big Mess

**Some action in this chapter! Next one will be the last. :( Enjoy~**

* * *

"Room!"

"Hey you can't chop off the tree!" Luffy protested when the tree in their backyard was chopped in half. Law was practicing using his sword with his devil fruit. Law smirked.

"Shambles!" and it was attached again.

"It's crooked now!" Luffy complained, since Law hadn't stuck it back correctly. Now it was cooked and backwards. He was irate with that, since Luffy loved that tree and there was a swing on the thickest branch that Shanks made for him years ago.

Law shouted, "I'm still learning!" in anger. Luffy started laughing and pointing at him, to which Law shambled Luffy and dropped him into a muddy puddle. Luffy shouted he was a jerk, and aimed a punch at him, just barely missing. Now he was covered in mud, and huffed as he went to the hose and turned it on to wash himself off. But now it was cold.

He was nine, now, and Law was a young teenager. The Whitebeards were on their way to visit, having gotten it wrong. That they were visiting when he was nine, not eight. Luffy aimed more attacks at Law once he was clean, and they got into a battle, where Law was underhanded and would shambles Luffy right in front of him and punch him.

The blows never hurt Luffy, though, so it didn't make him mad. But when Luffy was able to punch him in the stomach and into the puddle _he'd_ put _Luffy_ in, Luffy ran out of the gate and down the street, not wanting to face Law's fury, as his clothes were now muddy.

He could hear Law yelling profanities at him, and he just laughed and ran to Makino's bar and to Sabo for protection. Ace saw them from his place on the strawberry field, and saw Law chasing after him and chuckled. He was glad Luffy and Law got along well, even if they seemed to be polar opposites.

He had a share in this field now, after working there for five years. So the family had more money flowing in from Ace's promotion and Sabo's two jobs. He returned to work, putting the ripe strawberries into their boxes.

Law caught up to Luffy and hit him in the head with his sheathed sword. Luffy laughed, not hurt, and they got into a fight. By the end both were laughing before Law grabbed him and threw him into the ocean. "You jer-!"

"Room, shambles!" and Luffy was on the dock, soaking wet. Luffy curled up, not liking that prank at all. He thought he was gonna die, that Law would kill him. He turned his back on Law, putting his hat over his face. Law's face went white behind him. "Luffy-"

"Leave me alone, Law. That was too far," Luffy said quietly, getting up and walking past Law with his eyes shadowed from his hat. Luffy walked back home by himself, Law looking full of regret from the dock. Luffy wordlessly went home, before turning and heading to Ace, who he saw sitting with Deuce at their outdoor table, both drinking a beer.

Luffy walked up to his brother and hugged him, not saying a word. Ace became worried, and hugged him back. "Everything okay?" he asked, trying to keep the worry out of his voice, but he wasn't successful.

"Law pulled a really mean prank on me," Luffy explained, face still buried in Ace's chest. When Ace asked what it was, Luffy said, "He threw me into the water but then brought me back out with his power." Ace's mouth gaped, unable to believe a devil fruit user would do that to a fellow user, let alone a friend. No wonder Luffy was upset.

But it was no longer his or Sabo's job to fight Lu's enemies, or at least yell at a friend for doing something reckless and cruel. He closed his mouth and said, "I'm sorry. That must have been very scary. I'm sure he won't do it again if you showed it scared you." Luffy nodded, and Ace asked if he wanted to help carrying the strawberries inside. They were going to have a market the next day, so lots of the fruits and vegetables would be for sale.

Luffy helped them out until Ace got off work, and then they headed to Sabo and Makino's bar. They didn't see Law, and Luffy was glad. He was still upset and hurt by Law's prank. He hated to say it, but a bit of his trust in the other paramecia had been shaved off. It was so cruel, and he couldn't believe Law did that. Would he do that again? What if Luffy actually made him really angry? He sighed, looking at his feet.

"I'm sure he regrets it, Lu," Ace said simply. Luffy nodded, but it didn't make him feel any better, that Law hadn't taken his feelings into consideration before doing such a thing.

It was late at night, when Luffy was getting ready for bed, that there was a knock on the door. Ace and Sabo looked at each other before Ace stood and walked to it, opening it to see Law, who looked miserable. "Can I talk to Luffy?"

Ace called Luffy down, and he wondered who was at the door before he saw Law. He frowned at him deeply, and Law looked incredibly guilty. Luffy went to the door, standing between Ace and the doorframe. "I'm really sorry, Luffy. I didn't think when I did that. It was really mean, and I'm very sorry. I got cocky with my powers."

Luffy's frown softened just barely, before he said, "I forgive you. But I don't want to practice tomorrow. I'm helping Ace," he said. It was the first time Ace heard of this, but he nodded along. It was an excuse for Luffy to take a break from Law.

"O-Okay. Do you want to do anything the day after tomorrow?" Law asked, probably sensing why Luffy was going to help Ace out. Luffy said he didn't know. Yes, Law sincerely apologized, but that didn't get rid of the terror and betrayal Luffy had felt in that moment. "Well, good night."

"Night," Luffy said. The whole atmosphere was incredibly awkward, with Luffy somewhat frosty and Law looking hurt. Law left, head down, and Luffy wordlessly went to his room and to bed. Sabo and Ace frowned at one another. They eventually both went to their room, their beds separate and on either side of the room now. They had no reason to sleep in the same bed anymore.

"Poor Lu," Sabo said.

"Poor Law. I've never seen Luffy act so cold," Ace replied, changing into his pajamas.

Sabo sighed and said, "Well, you can't blame him. Luffy probably thought he was going to die at his friend's hands. It had to have been terrifying, you know?" Ace nodded, understanding how afraid Luffy had felt, and how betrayed and worthless. Law may not have meant to hurt Luffy or scare him, but it had.

Usually Luffy forgave easily, but not this time apparently. He just needed some time to cool off most likely. Which was why he wanted to help Ace the next day. And when he woke up, Ace found Luffy staring at the bathtub in worry. "You okay?" he asked.

Luffy frowned sadly. "I'm scared of going in the water," he admitted. Ace moved forward and drained the tub.

"Just take a shower," Ace suggested, feeling terrible for Luffy. Being in the water really messed him up. Really scared him, and if he was still afraid like this, it was no wonder he hadn't forgiven Law fully. The youngest nodded and closed the bathroom door sadly, Ace hearing the water starting to run, and the squeak of the curtain moving to block the tub. Ace would be going to work once Luffy was done showering.

Sabo grew worried while at work. He hadn't heard about it yet, but someone they really didn't want to go near was heading to Goa. To the kingdom, not Windmill Village. But still, the presence of any Celestial Dragon was unwelcome. It could possibly be their parents or anyone else they knew.

He knew they weren't coming because they knew where the boys had hidden, where they'd relocated, and that they were visiting the king of the kingdom, which held no power over their small home. They were completely separate.

And he knew that, most likely, no one cared about them anymore. They'd left, had never been found. They might just assume the boys died. And if they did recognize them, they'd never be welcomed back, as they'd lived as normal people, a normal rewarding life. That would disgust the other nobles. And the three really couldn't care less.

"What day are they coming?" Sabo asked Shelly, a regular customer who hoarded packets of gum so badly that the workers had kept some gum off of the shelf so she couldn't take it all.

"Tomorrow. They won't visit us here, though. They never have before," she replied. "Though it's been quite some time since they visited. You have no reason to worry." Sabo smiled awkwardly, wanting to get off of this subject. "Is this all there is?" Shelly asked, being the one to change the subject.

"Yes, that's all the gum we have at the moment," Sabo lied, knowing there was a lot more in storage. She's not the only one who liked gum. She huffed, paid, and then left. Sabo was left uneasy about a visit from Celestial Dragons. Out of everyone, he and his brothers knew them best. Well, he and Ace. Luffy didn't remember most of life at Mary Geoise, which they were glad of.

He knew how unreasonable they were. How easy to offend and anger. They brandished guns like they were toys, and shot anyone they thought was rude to them without a moment's hesitation. Sabo knew they did unexpected things. So he had no doubt that Windmill Village was in danger.

Well, he and Ace would do their best to protect everyone, Luffy especially. They wouldn't let anyone hurt Luffy's happy life here.

"Luffy, are you still mad at Law?" Ace asked, taking a water break. The youngest nodded in reply, pouting. "He apologized sincerely," Ace pointed out, and Luffy looked down at his crate of strawberries.

"I know… it was really scary, though," Luffy replied sadly. Ace put his hand on Luffy's head.

He smiled and said, "A pirate king has to be forgiving for his friends, since they are what will help him conquer the seas." It was a line Shanks had used when Luffy was upset with Bonney once. Luffy giggled and smiled, putting his hand on the ever-present straw hat.

"I'll be back!" he shouted, and went running towards his and Law's informal meeting spot. Ace kept watch of him while he did so, until he was a small figure, but still visible. Deuce was sick that day, so it was just him and Luffy, though the work wasn't really that difficult for one person. Just a little lonely.

Luffy saw Law sitting at the beach, looking miserable. He walked up to him and said nothing, just a sad look on his face. Law looked up and then away, a guilty look on his face, one of deep regret

"I accept your apology," Luffy said, the first to speak. Law looked up at him, and smiled. He asked if Luffy forgave him. "Yeah. Just don't do it again."

"I promise I won't. Do you want to practice?" Law asked, in a much better mood than moments ago, since Luffy forgave him. They moved on quickly, now both training on the only "attack" Luffy could do. Law was throwing huge rocks at Luffy, who bounced them off by blowing himself up with a huge breath.

Luffy cheered about it working. "I perfected my first move! I'm bummed, though, since you're a lot faster learner." He didn't sound too bummed, and was grinning. Law was sitting with his sword in his lap, but he was smiling. Law rarely smiled like that, so he must be very relieved things worked out after his mistake.

"Well, your fruit changed your whole body composition. It has to be harder than my power. I'm not jealous, though," Law added. "Though it is nice that most injuries wouldn't hurt you. Cora-san's power is pretty useless most times." Luffy was interested, since Law didn't bring up his guardian much. Luffy rarely saw him.

No one asked where he was during the day, but he wasn't in Windmill Village. The only other place he could be would be in Goa, the only other settlement on the small island. But no one knew.

The two practiced so much of the day, the awkwardness and hurt gone completely. It wouldn't undo what happened, but Luffy forgave him and they moved on. Someone came up from behind them, and Luffy saw his other friend.

"Kid!" Luffy said in surprise. He got closer and held up something in his hand.

"Look what I found!" he shouted proudly, and walked forward and showed them what he was holding. It was a devil fruit. "I don't know what fruit it is yet, though." Luffy was excited for him, and Law said nothing. He never interacted with Luffy's long-time friends, only Luffy.

The rubber boy asked if he was going to eat it. "Of course! I just wanted to show you before I did!" and he ate it, showing a disgusted expression. Luffy laughed at it, remembering his own tasted disgusting.

Luffy asked, "Do you feel any different?" Kid was silent and still before shaking his head. "I hope it wasn't something stupid," Luffy said in concern, not wanting Kid to be stuck with a useless fruit. "Like turning into a jacket."

Kid roared that he would not be a jacket, and Luffy started laughing. "I'll master my devil fruit before you two, I swear it," the red head declared. Luffy asked if he wanted to train with them, all three of them. But Kid declined, and Law looked relieved. "I want to master it on my own," Kid explained.

"Good luck, then! I hope it's easier for you than mine is for me," the straw hatted boy said in good nature. Kid nodded and then ran off to start learning what the power of the fruit he ate was. Luffy turned back to Law, and said, "Lots of people have devil fruits here." Law agreed, saying it was strange how many were there. Ace, Luffy, Law, Corazon, and now Kid as well. "I wonder how he found it."

"Who knows?" and then Law went back to helping Luffy out with his gum gum balloon move.

"So there is a ship of one or more Celestial Dragons arriving at Goa tomorrow," Sabo said conversationally as the three ate dinner that night. Ace grew tense while Luffy just frowned. He knew they were bad, but didn't remember much of his life up there. Ace did, and looked at his baby brother in worry.

While he was sure that they wouldn't be stealing them back after five years of missing, they still could do damage to their home. "Thatch said they were arriving here a couple days from now. A bit of a strange coincidence," Ace said, since they'd been alerted yesterday of the Whitebeards arrival. They couldn't wait to see them again. Luffy was so excited as well. "We should give them a heads up so they don't appear at the exact same time or that could get messy. The government would know about them visiting, and it might not end up well for our village.

Sabo nodded, agreeing. Luffy got up from the table and went to bring the den den mushi before dialing the Whitebeard's number. It rang for a bit before Jozu answered. "Jozu!" Luffy cheered. No longer Ball Head, but Jozu.

"Hello, Luffy. It's strange for you to be calling since we had a call yesterday," he commented, though he didn't sound upset at all. Luffy explained about the visit the next day. Jozu asked them to wait as he left to get the captain. Luffy messed with his hat a bit while waiting since his food was gone and he was no longer hungry even if his brothers hadn't finished their own meals.

"Hello, boys," Whitebeard said, and they all lit up at his voice.

"Hi, Whitebeard. How are you?" Sabo asked politely.

"The East Blue sure is quiet and boring," and he laughed. Ace chuckled and said that was the point of them living there. "So, what is the problem with any nobles?" he asked, getting back on topic.

Sabo explained to him about a visit from the world nobles the next day. How they shouldn't arrive at the same time. Ace added that when they did come, then they should dock on the opposite side of the Goa port. Whitebeard was quiet for a long moment.

"That is troublesome. Well, we're still three days away. If they visit tomorrow, then they won't be near Windmill Village where we'll be arriving. If they bother the village, we'll handle it smoothly. Don't worry, it wouldn't be hurting anyone on board. They're crazy, we don't want to piss them off too badly," the captain explained.

"Whitebeard! I can show you my first move that I perfected! I'm immune to bullets and rocks!" Luffy exclaimed excitedly. The captain laughed, and said he really looked forward to it. They talked for a bit more, the brothers all so excited to see them again. Their saviors and second family. Luffy went to bed with his mind racing in excitement. Maybe he could introduce Law to them. He didn't remember much of their sailing with them, but with the aid of Ace and Sabo, he remembered many moments and the feelings he got when he was there. He remembered that clearly. The photos everywhere helped as well. So, he knew to be excited.

The next day, luffy was told to stay home, much to his disappointment. But Law came over, and they practiced in the backyard until Luffy fell and cut his arm on the sharp side of a rake that was against the tree. He did his best not to cry, but he was bleeding. Law hurried him to the doctor's and Luffy had it checked out. Law went to get Ace, who freaked the moment he was told Luffy got injured, and hurried to the hospital.

By the time he was there, the wound was treated. It wasn't deep enough to need stitches, but it was still messy. He had bandages that pinched it closed. He was proud he hadn't cried, and found Ace in the waiting room.

"Luffy! Are you okay?" Luffy nodded, and held up his arm.

"I'm better, you don't have to worry," Luffy said calmly. Ace smiled in relief. "But it will hurt to stretch anymore," he added with a pout. Ace thought for a moment before inviting both of them to the flower field. The flowers had all bloomed and since the strawberries were harvested, he and others of neighboring fields or orchards were going to pick flowers. Lavenders were being delivered to those who made perfume and soap from home and then sold them to the store.

Both boys gladly accepted and headed back with Ace to the flower field. They weren't afraid of the bees on the flowers, as they didn't hurt any of them. Law used his powers to practice with switching Luffy into different parts of the field to pick. Even if Luffy couldn't train, it didn't mean Law couldn't.

Many of the moves Law had thought up couldn't be used without endangering someone. And he wouldn't hurt Luffy and had no one else to practice on, so those moves stayed in his head. He was about to do another room before they all heard an explosion sound, and a cannon flying towards them. "ROOM!" Law screamed and teleported him, Luffy, Ace and Deuce far from the area the cannon ball landed. He was exhausted, never using a room that big. "Everyone okay?"Ace shouted. Luffy nodded, though he was afraid. Ace ran forward to put out the fire that had started in the flowers.

The four looked to the side, those on the other side of the field having run away (a smart move). It was a huge galleon. "Damn Celestial Dragons! Go fucking die!" Ace raged, seeing Luffy looking afraid and growing even angrier. They would never ever hurt Luffy ever again, no matter what.

Another cannon shot was heard, and Luffy ran forward before anyone could stop him. "Gum gum BALLOON!" he shouted, and inflated himself to bounce the cannon back, where it flew over much of the field and then hit the ship. "Oh no!" Luffy exclaimed. The ship began to burn. "What do we do?!" he asked frantically. He had a huge bruise on his stomach already.

Ace grabbed at his hair. This was not how things were supposed to happen! The flower field was barely in view of the coast! Bullshit! But they would only be in more trouble if government officials came off of the ship. There was a crowd of people at the base of the hill, and Deuce shouted at them to get away, hide, but Sabo didn't, and ran forward.

He had his pipe with him, which was usually locked away in the storage room of the store. Just in case something happened. There was one at Makino's too, in the sake room. "We have to make sure none of them get on the island," Ace said in a dark voice. He exchanged a glance with Sabo.

Both them nodded and went running towards the coast. Luffy and Law followed, despite Deuce trying to force them to stay. He ran after them as well. They five stood at the coast of the flower field. The ship was burning, and they were all holding their breaths. Maybe, it would look like it was an accident, that the ship's cannon misfired. But then they saw people running around on it, clearly alive and trying to put the fire out.

"We have to protect the village somehow," Sabo said in a tense voice.

"If someone can get on the ship, and make sure no one lived to tell the tale, then perhaps they'd let us off the hook. They shot at us first, but the government wouldn't care about that. To them, we hurt them and were in the wrong," Sabo explained.

"I can shambles someone onto the ship. I know I can do it, I've been practicing enough with Luffy," Law said. Ace volunteered to be the one to do it. He nodded, and thanked the younger. Luffy was very worried, twisting his fingers into a coil in apprehension. Was it his fault? Sabo put his hand on Luffy's hatted head, and quietly said he protected them, and that that wasn't wrong.

Law took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and said, "Room!" The dome reached out into the sea, a huge one. He could only keep it up for a moment, so Ace was instantly shambled with a piece of debris from the ship.

Ace landed on the ship, and under the cover of smoke, killed everyone on the ship. He hadn't grown weak at all since they moved there, and neither had Sabo. Even if they were someplace safe, Luffy was still younger than them, still needed protection if any enemies arrived. They may live normal, everyday lives now, but that didn't mean they had to be weak as well.

He barely used his powers before he then burned the whole ship down. He looked over the side of the ship to see Deuce had swam over. Looked like Law was unable to make a second room. So Ace jumped overboard, with Deuce dragging him out of the water and back to the shore. He gasped when he was dragged out of the water.

Luffy ran to him, asking if he was alright. Ace touched his face with a smile. "I'm fine, Lu. But, for now, I think we should stay out of sight, until we know if anyone else is coming," he said. Luffy frowned, asking why. "If we were seen fighting back, the government won't forgive us."

They all frowned, and Law offered they could hide at his house. Luffy had never been there, and was excited to see it. They nodded, and Sabo quickly headed to town to explain things. Then he went to their house and got the Whitebeard den den.


	16. Returning Home

#### nayeli_262: <3

#### CrimsonEyedKitsune: Thank you!

#### Trying_To_Be_Happy: <3 

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**Literally so many of my stories are all finishing up at the same time! Luckily I have some more to post, but it won't be 6 a week anymore. I'm glad people enjoyed this fluffy one! Enjoy the last chapter, thanks for reading!**

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Law's house was small, but not crappy. It had one bedroom, and it looked like it belonged to Law and Corazon slept on the couch. It was cozy, though not as nice as the brothers' home was. They all sat inside. "Where is Corazon, Law? Is he okay with this?" Ace questioned, dry already from using his powers.

"He works in Goa. Sometimes he has to stay there overnight, so I mostly live here by myself." Luffy asked why he just left him. "He doesn't want to cause Windmill Village any trouble, and high paying jobs in Goa usually involve working in High Town. Sometimes it is bad to leave there at night. I know he doesn't want to, but it keeps us living." He sounded so sad, and Sabo felt guilty about probably being the one to chase Corazon away. It had just been worry that caused him to not like the man.

The five stayed in Law's little house while the three brothers called the Whitebeards on a den den mushi in the house, as the brothers knew the number and since they weren't far, a normal den den would reach them just fine. Whitebeard answered, surprised from their call. They didn't usually call on Wednesdays, only on either Mondays and Thursdays. Well, besides last night's warning call. "Is everything okay?"

"No, the Celestial Dragon attacked us here. We and two others fought back and the government ship was sunk. We're hiding at a home on the outskirts of Windmill Village. What should we do? Will the marines come?" Sabo asked in worry, having no idea what the next right move would be. He and the others sat in silence, though Law and Deuce seemed shocked to actually hear Whitebeard's voice. Everyone knew about them having previously been on their ship. Law hadn't seen it since he wasn't there at the time the brothers had arrived.

Whitebeard let out a heavy sigh, "I think hiding is the best solution at the moment. I will go ask Haruta if he's heard any radio transmissions from the marines." The five waited and heard Whitebeard taking the den den through the ship by hearing talking from multiple voices that weren't aimed at the captain. They heard a door open, and Whitebeard asked for Haruta.

"Sure, Pops. What's the problem?" the smallest commander questioned. "Oh, are you talking to Ace, Sabo and Luffy?"

"Yes, but I have an important question. Have you caught any radio transmission to marines since entering the East Blue?" the captain asked.

"Yeah, someone retaliated to an attack by a world noble. Sent reinforcements, but it never said where. Don't know what a world noble would be doing in the East Blue, though," he said casually. Whitebeard must have made an expression since Haruta worriedly questioned what the problem was.

"That transmission came from Dawn Island, and those who retaliated were the boys and their friends. Did the transmission say who had done it?" the yonko asked. Everyone held their breaths, worried and fearful that they'd not only have their pleasant life ripped away, but would be the cause of their friends in the village's deaths.

Haruta said, in a serious voice, "Five kids. Two children, and blonde, black and blue haired young adults. Also said some of them were devil fruit users." Sabo and Ace put their heads in their hands, and Deuce leaned back against the wall with a resigned expression, eyes closed. Luffy had tears in his eyes and Law had a flat, blank face, though his hands were clenching his sword so tight the knuckles were white.

Deuce was first to speak. "What do we do now?"

"No idea. Just wait it out maybe," Sabo replied with a deep sigh.

"We're coming to pick you up," Whitebeard said sternly. "It's early, I know, but the island is no longer safe for you. If it were a pirate attack, then we'd neutralize it and it'd be easy, but since the perpetrators are marines and government officials, taking down one ship won't save you or the island."

Luffy frowned, eye brows creasing in worry. "But what about Law and Deuce? They both helped us and are in trouble, too!" Luffy exclaimed, worried about his close friends' safety. Whitebeard asked if they were trustworthy. "Well, yeah," Luffy replied uncertainly, even if the others got the point of the question.

"You can trust them fully then they can come with you," the yonko said, shocking Law mostly.

"But I have a guardian! I'm not gonna leave him!" Law protested boldly. The line was quiet for a moment.

"Do you have another way to get off of the island?" the captain questioned. The answer was no, since their tiny boat had broken long ago. It was when Law was about to respond when the door was blown open, and Corazon stood there.

"Law! Are you alright?!" Corazon asked, panting. He'd most likely run there, hearing about the ship going down. Law nodded, and the former noble asked what had happened. Ace explained it briefly. "You were seen?" he asked, and Law nodded.

Whitebeard asked the question again. "No, we have no way off," Law said, answering before Corazon could. He wasn't angry with any of them, or yelling. He wasn't panicking either. Then the captain offered to take them to the nearest island over. Law and Corazon were silent. The others assumed they were weighing their options.

They weren't either overly attached to anything or anyone on the island, except maybe Luffy for Law. So it made more sense to leave and be safe instead of staying somewhere they weren't overly fond of and being in danger. "We accept, Whitebeard-san. Sorry for troubling you," Corazon said seriously.

Luffy started to cry, finally realizing they were being chased off of their home just for defending themselves. Ace put his arm around his shoulders, rubbing them gently. "We were always gonna leave, Lu. We just have to go a bit earlier than expected. Why don't we go pack? And then we'll come back and stay here. Is that alright?" Ace asked Corazon.

"It's perfectly fine," the blonde replied. Deuce didn't seem either upset or happy. It was what it was, and he was the one taking it the best out of all of them. The four got out and ran back through the part of the woods separating Windmill Village from their house. Luffy was crying while he packed his things, his toys and photos. His clothes and other trinkets.

Sabo and Ace packed their things as well, getting their money out of the safe and into its old carrier. They couldn't say anything to anyone without involving them, so Sabo wrote a note and taped it to the front door. To: everyone. _Thank you for having us. You made our life rewarding. We are sorry we couldn't say goodbye. It is for our and your own safety. From: Ace, Luffy and Sabo._

Ace pulled down the Whitebeard flag that had been a staple of their home for so long. They didn't want the village to have any suspicious affiliation to anyone. The only person they said goodbye to was Makino. It was late afternoon now, and Luffy was the one to say goodbye as his brothers and Deuce brought their things from their home. Deuce had no family to miss, so he wasn't especially bothered by leaving.

Luffy ran into the bar and straight to Makino, hugging her. "Ah, Luffy? What's wrong?" she asked in concern, seeing Luffy's tearful face.

"We gotta leave. Whitebeard's taking us early. D-don't try to follow us, 'kay? Tell my friends I'll see them again someday, and I'll miss them," Luffy said, and before she could ask why, he sprinted out of the bar.

"Luffy! Wait!" But Luffy still ran, up the hill, through the flower field, and to Law's home. He was sad he'd say goodbye to Law as well, since he didn't want to join. There was no reason for Whitebeard to invite Corazon on. The boys had no affiliation with him.

When he got back to the lonesome house, Luffy sat in the corner. He took out the scrapbook of their time with the Whitebeards, seeing himself happy, having fun. Seeing Ace and Sabo having fun, surrounded by good friends.

_That's right. We were going to leave. We were always going to leave, from the start. Just leaving a little early. It was never permanent._

He calmed a bit at remembering that. There was always going to be a good bye, he just didn't want it under these circumstances. He couldn't help the excitement bloom in his chest. It started out tiny, before it grew bigger and bigger. He got to see Thatch again! And Marco and Haruta! Would they be glad to not have their nicknames? He chuckled. "Loaf Head."

He could see Shanks again, too! He put his hand on his straw hat with a smile. He may not be strong like they'd planned, but he wasn't four anymore. He didn't need constant supervision. But he had used one of his moves in action, and it saved them from a cannonball. Luffy put his hat on the scrapbook. Who knew pirates would be such a huge influence on him? As long as he could remember.

Ace was talking to Deuce about those on the ship, and Luffy brought him the scrapbook so he could show who he was telling his friend about. Deuce was a good guy, so they were sure he'd be just fine on the ship. He'd be welcomed easily.

Sabo was smiling slightly, thinking of being back with the crew. He was still happy that they'd had their little slice of a normal life for Luffy to age. He was nowhere near a grown up, but he wasn't very vulnerable and clueless. Sadly, he was unable to say goodbye to his friends, but Sabo knew he'd miss Law the most.

Luffy walked to Law and sat down next to him. "I wish you could come with me," he said sadly. Law smiled at him, a sad, bittersweet one.

"You were always going to leave, right?" he asked simply. Luffy nodded, his hat shadowing over his eyes. "I'll see you again some day. I know it. I was thinking about being a pirate someday. After the life I've lived, I don't think I'll ever want to just settle down the rest of my life. When we're stronger and older, I'm sure we'll meet again. Maybe we'll even be rivals."

Luffy stared at him, and smiled. "Well, I'm gonna be the pirate king. You can be a subordinate crew!" Law snapped back that he wouldn't be anyone's subordinate. Luffy just laughed, in a much better mood than before.

Law didn't have many personal belongings, since he had no bags packed besides clothes. Corazon also didn't have much packed, even though they'd be leaving the moment the Whitebeards arrived. Luffy walked to Ace and Sabo, and took their hands. "The future came too fast," he said simply. "But I'm not so sad about it anymore." Ace and Sabo grinned at the nine year old.

"And this means we won't be nearly thirty by the time we return to the Whitebeards!" Sabo exclaimed happily, and Ace laughed. By their time tables, they were going to set sail with the Whitebeards once Luffy was 14. They'd be 27. But this is how things happened, and they were 22 now. Not too young but also not too old. A perfect age to become a yonko pirate!

The Whitebeard den den rang late that night, with Luffy sleeping in Law's room with him, sleeping on the beanbag chair while Law took the bed. Deuce woke to it first and then shook Ace awake. He sat up and then got up to answer. "Hello?" he asked with a yawn.

"Hey, Ace, it's Marco. We had a little tiff with the marines, but we incapacitated their ship. We should be there in two days at the pace we're going, and not stopping during the night. Have you explored Dawn Island besides Windmill Village?"

Ace nodded before he realized Marco wouldn't see that, and then said, "Yeah. The forest is too dangerous to live in. But there's a cliff area behind the mountain, out of view of both Goa and the village. Will you pick us up there?" Ace asked. The den den nodded.

"We'll meet you there. We'll call when we're near. Try not to be seen, more marines will most likely appear. But, if you two are as strong as when you left, you should be fine. Is Luffy any stronger? Can he help out?" Marco asked, sounding happy.

Ace said, "Eh… well, he was useful for the fight before. He can bounce back cannonballs and bullets. Law is also pretty helpful, he helped as well. I think we'll be fine, though. We've got Deuce with us, and he's pretty strong himself," he explained, half hearted at the beginning but voice strong by the end.

"That's good. Well, get some sleep. We'll see you soon."

"Night, Marco," Ace replied fondly, and then hung up, leaving the dining room where the Whitebeard den den was since they got it from home, and heading to the couch to lay next to Deuce, both of them taking on one half of it. Sabo had the recliner while Corazon was in a sleeping bag. It was nice of him to give the young men the living room furniture.

When they woke up, it was clear there was not enough food for the six of them. So, Ace left the house to go into Goa to buy something. They could not afford to bring any attention to Windmill Village. Plus, no one would recognize Ace from Goa. Deuce offered to go with him, and Ace agreed, depending on Sabo to keep Luffy safe.

The two walked along the skirt of the island, not quite going into the jungle. It was a bit stressful, but nothing happened. When they saw the huge junkyard that both of them knew was there, Deuce plugged his nose.

"Hah! Pretty nasty, huh? People live in here," Ace said simply, the both of them casually walking through the land of murderers and thieves. Neither of them were nervous, and their confidence showed. No one attacked them, but then again it was still early morning. About the time Sabo would be going to work right now.

Ace was unsure about how to feel. He'd never once thought of any conclusion than going back to the Whitebeards, but he was sad it had to end so suddenly. They didn't get to say goodbye at all to any of their neighbors or friends. At least Luffy was able to say goodbye to Law. And Ace had Deuce to come with him. Sabo didn't get to say goodbye to his fellow workers or Makino. Ace knew Sabo really liked Makino. They were more friends than a worker and employer.

But, this was how it was going to end, and there was no way to change that. Best not to think about it too much. When they entered the outskirts of the city, there were no markets, more trading stores, places to sell weapons. Nothing useful for them, they needed food. So they both ventured into the kingdom further until they found a cleaner, nicer area. Apparently, it was the most beautiful kingdom in the East Blue. All Ace could see was snobby, pinched faces of people looking down on others.

He scowled the moment he was in their presence. He looked at them all with disgust, though not in the same way that they did he. These people were nobles. Disgusting. So, they hurriedly bought many bags of groceries and took their leave, Ace in a much worse mood than before.

"What's your problem?" Deuce wondered after they left the city and Gray Terminal.

"I dislike nobles," Ace said simply.

"Don't we all?" Ace chuckled and nodded. He was glad that no one found out their origins in Windmill Village and _that_ was why they needed to leave. Thinking of that, this was a much preferred alternative. Everyone left on good terms. No one hated them, and their memoires weren't ruined.

They had gotten enough groceries to six _reasonably sized_ meals for all six people. Enough to last them until Whitebeard came. Luffy and Law were in the backyard, which was really just the space behind the house with a fence guarding from the nearby forest. They were practicing, Luffy trying to make his gum gum balloon bigger, while Law was trying to make more than one dome of a large size. But it was taxing on him, and he took an impromptu nap.

Sabo was watching Corazon at work. He couldn't help but feel bad for Law, being alone all day besides when he was with Luffy. He had no friends and nobody to go to in Windmill Village. He looked to the side, at the framed picture of Law and his blonde guardian, feeling shame well up inside of him. Was he the reason Law didn't live in Windmill Village? Was it his fault that Corazon worked in Goa? Or was it a choice of his own? He didn't know, and was afraid to ask.

Ace and Deuce came in, giving Sabo a welcome distraction. Ace looked cranky. "What's wrong?" Sabo wondered while he went to put the food into Law's and Corazon's kitchen.

"Nobles," Ace said simply, but in an annoyed and irritated tone. He went straight out to the backyard and watched Luffy. Being with him calmed Ace's mind, which was why, when he was younger, if he had a nightmare he'd go into Luffy's room, even when he was an infant and just watched his baby brother sleep quietly before heading back to his own room, feeling better than when he left.

Ace smiled softly, and Sabo watched, donning his own smile. No matter how old Luffy got, he'd still be their baby brother, whether he liked it or not.

When Corazon arrived, bringing desserts from Goa, Sabo approached him and asked for a moment alone. They entered Law's room, and Sabo bowed his head, surprising the other blonde. "I want to apologize for my rudeness. I worry that it pushed you out of Windmill Village and if so I am very sorry and regret my behavior," he said honestly. Corazon looked confused and then awkward, before he told Sabo he didn't need to bow anymore.

"It's my own past that kept me from making a living in Windmill Village. I didn't wish to cause any disturbance if my own identity was found out. I'm in both hiding from marines and a certain band of pirates. I think you can guess which ones. So, living where no one could see me, and working where I would be lost in the crowd were my own choices. Nothing you did affected my choice."

Sabo sighed out with a smile, feeling ten times better than before. He had felt so bad for possibly shunning Corazon away when there had been no real reason to.

"Can I ask you a question? Why did you choose to leave? I've never heard of anyone leaving willingly besides my father," Corazon said. Sabo sat on Law's bed and thought of a concise answer. He would be truthful, of course. Corazon knew they had been nobles and didn't hate them. Law might not, but there was no reason to lie now.

Sabo replied, "We didn't want to see Luffy turn into those we were around. We didn't want his kind smile to turn into a sneer. For him to look down on anybody for no real reason. We wanted to give him a fulfilling life, even if it could be 'boring' to some." He said it with a smile. "We never wanted to go back, so we escaped. We hid on the Whitebeards' ship before they dropped us off here, the safest place they knew of."

Corazon smiled at that. "You three are nice people. I never thought three brothers like you would ever come out of Mary Geoise." Sabo laughed and nodded. He was sure no one else was like them, as well. He didn't ask for Corazon or Law's life story. It was their business, so Coraon could tell him if he wished.

Sabo stood up and was about to open the door when the older man said, "We don't blame you. That we have to leave. It's no one's fault that you five protected yourselves. I'm just glad to know Law and I will be safe by your friends, the Whitebeards." Sabo smiled at him before he opened the door and left to go be with his brothers.

It was the next afternoon that they were called on the den den mushi. Ace answered it, and the six were told to go to their meeting place. Luffy's heart was hammering, and he was holding his straw hat in both hands. Law seemed just as nervous while Ace and Sabo were beaming, Deuce looked mildly interested, and Corazon just had a pleasant expression on.

"The Moby Dick!" Luffy screeched, pointing at the huge ship coming close quickly. Luffy started jumping up and down, waving his hat in the air.

"Ace! Luffy! Sabo!" voices were screaming as the ship came closer, and when it got close enough, they could see the crowds of people and many of them quite large. Ace and Sabo were both waving their hands excitedly. Deuce seemed mildly intrigued, cool as always. When the ship finally got close Luffy launched his arms out and wrapped them around the ship's railing before snapping forward and colliding with Loaf H- _Thatch._

"Thatch!" Luffy shouted, and the former Loaf-Head hugged him back. He was crying.

"That's not my name!" he sobbed, hugging a laughing Luffy. The other two had jumped onto the ship and were embracing others as well. "My name is Loaf Head! And Marco is Pineapple!" The crew were laughing and crying in their reunion that everyone had clearly been looking forward to.

Whitebeard said, "Brat! No more calling me Banana Giant, that red haired shit now exclusively calls me by that name." But he had a massive grin.

"If he can't call you Banana Giant, what should he call you?" Sabo asked, almost taunting. They all knew what they'd end up calling him. Whitebeard gave him a calculating look, not knowing what they meant.

"I guess I'll call him Pops. Whitebeard is a mouthful," Luffy said smoothly, and cheering broke out on deck. Pops beamed and was grinning as well. Marco ruffled the older brother's hair, despite them being 22 and no longer teenagers. But, obviously, they'd all be the babies on the crew.

Luffy hurried over to Law, who looked incredibly uncomfortable, and dragged him around. "This is Law! He's my really close friend, we trained with our devil fruits together!" Luffy introduced. Everyone was excited to make acquaintance with Luffy's friend while Deuce just carried the luggage inside, following Haruta's directions.

"It's nice to meet you Law, Corazon," Whitebeard said, Ace sitting on his shoulder with a bright grin. The ship already started setting sail away from the island to not cause it too much trouble.

Corazon bowed respectfully. "We apologize for having you go out of your way, Whitebeard-san." Marco gave him a mug of sake, to toast (even if he wasn't part of it) the crew and brothers' reunions.

Everyone was overjoyed, and didn't notice Luffy watching his island get smaller and smaller with a sad expression. Luffy was happy to be back, but he did wish he could have had a real goodbye to everyone. Sabo put his arm around his shoulders. "We'll visit some day. Or, when you set out to become pirate king, you could start at the beginning. Maybe come back to the East Blue and then set out, back to the Grand Line," the older brother suggested.

Luffy smiled and pressed his hat to his head. "That's a great idea, Sabo! I'll do that. Once I'm ready to be pirate king, I'll come back here and start from scratch," he happily declared. "I'll be back, Windmill Village! And when I come back, I'll be stronger than ever!"

The crew cheered him on while a party began. Ace and Sabo felt themselves truly relax. Not just in their body, but their entire being relaxed. It was not only them keeping Luffy safe. They now had a blanket of security with them. Coming back was better than they expected it to be after five years.

But, even after five years, it felt like they had said goodbye to the ship just yesterday, taking the young child to his new safe home. Sabo felt his eyes itch a bit at the memory, and when Ace walked over and hugged Sabo, he knew that his brother was feeling the same way.

"Mission accomplished, huh?" Ace asked with a watery grin.

Sabo nodded and looked at Luffy, who was sitting on deck, getting in trouble for the first time for attempting to "sample" one of the pirates drinks, after then spitting it out on Thatch's face. Luffy didn't like alcohol for his first try, apparently.

Everyone broke into laughter, and Thatch couldn't even be mad.

Whitebeard came up from behind the brothers. "You two can finally shrug off the title of parent. Or at least, we'll all share it with you, if you'd like," he said in a his gruff, kind voice. He was grinning at them, clearly overjoyed to have them back on the ship, five years later.

"That's a great idea, Pops," Ace said, grinning brightly. The ship was full of happiness, and it even rubbed off on their fellow passengers. Corazon was enjoying the free alcohol, while Law was smiling awkwardly as Luffy attempted to tell everyone all about his best friend. Deuce had gone inside, predictably. The three brothers all knew he wouldn't be a staple in the extremely drunk Whitebeard parties. Which they had no doubt would come often. And now they could spend it outside with them, too, instead of taking Luffy to bed!

The future was bright, and they were excited to go wherever it would take them. They were once again, _officially,_ the Whitebeard pirates, and Luffy was the future pirate king.


End file.
